Exploring Business Casual and Office Merch in ‘Industry’ Season Three

HBO’s popular drama “Industry” made a comeback on Sunday with its third season, diving once again into the intense lives of young British bankers at the international bank Pierpoint & Co.

The first two seasons quickly became viewer favorites, offering a compelling look into the high-stakes world of banking, complete with a distinctive focus on office attire ranging from corporate outfits to business casual wear.

For the third season, Laura Smith was brought on as the costume designer. Smith expanded on the show’s existing aesthetic, using costumes to highlight office rivalries and class differences among the characters.

“The characters have grown more mature, and it shows,” said Smith. “Grads like Harper and Yasmin are really coming into their own, figuring out their identities. This season, you see where they’ve been and where they aim to go, making their journeys more crystalized.”

Smith took her task seriously, spending a significant amount of time in London’s financial district. She closely observed what real-life bankers wore and noted the variations in attire that marked different levels of the corporate hierarchy.

With Season Two firmly rooted in business casual, Smith maintained this vibe for the third season. This involved a lot of office merch like sweaters, T-shirts, and gilets, which characters sport both at work and home.

Office merchandise has been a staple of the show right from the beginning, contributing to many of its viral fashion moments. Notably, the bright purple Pierpoint hoodie worn by Ken Leung’s character, Eric, in Season One, became so popular that HBO now sells it on its e-commerce site.

“Including the new Pierpoint merchandise was crucial,” Smith said. “The executives and directors have their own exclusive merch, creating a class distinction. For instance, the Pierpoint cuff links worn by partners are the apex of this hierarchy.”

The branded gilets also play a pivotal role in the characters’ costumes. Many Pierpoint employees wear them as part of their daily lives, both inside and outside the office.

“We repeatedly used the gilets to build them into a recurring theme because it epitomizes business casual,” Smith noted. “It’s a piece of armor in the banking world, signifying the bank they work for. I noticed this during my research walks around the city. It’s a power play element, showing allegiance and indicating you work for a financial institution that can afford such items.”

This emphasis on office merch extended to dressing Kit Harington’s character, who joins the cast as Sir Henry Muck, the CEO of green tech energy company Lumi, which is preparing for an IPO.

Despite his privileged background and wealth, Muck rejects traditional office wear and opts for more casual options to appear approachable. He favors Lumi’s T-shirts and office merchandise, even going as far as banning suit jackets in the workplace.

“There’s an interesting level of untidiness about him because he doesn’t care,” Smith explained. “He doesn’t need to be the smartest dressed person in the room. He has money and certainty, so he always looks a bit disheveled in the first two episodes. Yet, he’s clear about the huge responsibility of running his business.”

Source: particlesnews.com, HBO