Bond with the best

Angelo Petrucci, 36, was asked to design suits for Pierce Brosnan for the Bond film, Golden Eye in 1995 he worked on creating illusions for Brosnan8217;s lean frame. 8220;He8217;s great as Bond but we were used to the more strapping Sean Connery,8221; says Petrucci, who was in Delhi recently to custom make suits for select customers there. Petrucci represents Brioni, the menswear label from Italy. He8217;s been designing for Bond films till the last release starring Daniel Craig, Casino Royale.

Dressed in a crisp blue suit at Brioni8217;s store at The Oberoi, Petrucci talks fondly of his first Bond experience. 8220;The character James Bond has immaculate style. We selected the best fabrics, Prince of Galles-Glencheck, Grisaglia-Sharkskin and pinstripes which were in vogue that time,8221; he says. Petrucci designed 70 suits for Golden Eye, each costing 3,000 euros. 8220;All suits for James Bond were designed as per the scene. So I would study each Bond film, scene by scene and design a suit accordingly,8221; he explains. He met Brosnan just thrice, off the set.

The prolific tailor has also designed clothes for 24 heads of state like Gerhard Schroeder, Nelson Mandela and Azlan Shah, the former Sultan of Malaysia. 8220;The thought process involved in designing suits for presidents is very different from Bond. They8217;re not jumping off buildings,8221; he smiles. This is Petrucci8217;s first experience designing for Indian men. More than 24 prominent Delhiites, from politicians to businessmen, visited Brioni to check out Petrucci8217;s suits, each of which retails for over Rs 2 lakh.

Petrucci is all excited about the upcoming Bond flick, Quantum of Solace, though he has nothing to do with Bond8217;s attire in this flick. 8220;I8217;m not sure who8217;s done the clothes,8221; he says and adds a tad forlornly, 8220;But I hope they ask me again.8221;