Haute spy couture
Peterman to accessorize with WB pic
Starting in August, J. Peterman's distinctive "Owner's Manual" catalogs and retail stores will offer reproductions of clothing and selected accessories from WB's upcoming "The Avengers," a big-screen remake of the British TV spy series. The television show aired in the U.S. from 1966 to 1969 and starred Patrick Mcnee as ironic secret agent John Steed and a succession of female co-stars, including Diana Rigg, as partner-in-espionage Emma Peel.
The WB pic stars Ralph Fiennes, Uma Thurman and Sean Connery.
Items available in the Peterman collection will include Steed's signature blue pinstripe three-piece suit with unique horizontally striped vest, his green velvet smoking jacket with frog closures and a black bowler.
Peel's movie character will inspire such useful spytogs as a three-piece mint suede suit, a pink two-piece coat dress with matching skirt, pajamas and a limited number of her lethally snug zippered black cat suit. From the wardrobe of arch-villain August deWynter (Connery) will comes a black velvet suit and other evilwear.
But the duds will cost considerably more than the price of a movie ticket. Prices will range from a low end of nearly $100 for a lapel pin, to nearly $2,000 for one of the handsewn cat suits.
Peterman will accompany the film's summer release with approximately 10 items. An October catalog will add an additional five selections geared for colder weather.
It's not Peterman's first foray into film: the company successfully sold original and reproduced costumes and props from the Fox/Par megahit "Titanic."
The Peterman Co. was founded 1987 on the sales of its most famous product, a long, western-style overcoat called a duster.
