Vitals

Jeremy Strong as Kendall Roy, ambitious corporate climber and recovering addict

Los Angeles, Fall 2020

Series: Succession
Episodes:
– “The Munsters” (Episode 4.01, dir. Mark Mylod, aired 3/26/2023)
– “Living+” (Episode 4.06, dir. Lorene Scafaria, aired 4/30/2023)
Creator: Jesse Armstrong
Costume Designer: Michelle Matland

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Background

The first episode of Succession aired five years ago today on June 3, 2018. Now, less than a week after the fourth and final season concluded last Sunday, we finally have an answer to the question posited since the beginning about who would assume leadership of the Murdoch-inspired media conglomerate Waystar RoyCo after the death of its domineering founder, Logan Roy (Brian Cox).

Despite the ensemble cast that includes three—occasionally four—of Logan’s children vying for the role, @MarkHarrisNYC tweeted yesterday that “the series never forgot that its central four-season plot question was not ‘Who’s going to get it?’ but ‘Is Kendall going to get it or not?'”

Jeremy Strong, whose intense performance as the fragile yet cutthroat, swaggering yet insecure Kendall has been lauded through the series run, seemed to support that focus in a recent interview with Joy Press for Vanity Fair, sharing that “For me—not necessarily for Jesse or for anyone else—this show could have been called The Death of Kendall Roy. The slow, inexorable death of Kendall Roy over four seasons mirrors, in a way, the death of a system and a country. We see the dying of the light in this person. And in tandem, we see the collapse and dying of a light in late stage capitalism, and in this country at this moment.”

The tragedy compounds with the occasional moments of Kendall having fun during his soul’s decline, optimistically grasping at the CEO role he has been predisposed to covet since it was promised to him in a candy shop when he was seven years old (as we eventually learn.) Consider the moment in “Living+” (Episode 4.06) as newly ordained CE-bros Kendall and Roman (Kieran Culkin) are brainstorming the eponymous “personalized longevity programs” that will offers investors a path to “live… more forever.” With death more on his mind than usual, Roman admits that “something about all this does depress me,” to which Kendall deftly responds:

Oh yeah? And, uh, do you think it’s the speech written specifically for our late father or the fact we’re planning to warehouse the elderly and keep them drunk on content while we suck ’em dollar-dry?

What’d He Wear?

“During the journey, we found as a character, Kendall moved through his evolution from very uptight Tom Ford-esque cut suits to his break to neutral, natural tones into the browns and the greens, which were completely out of his palette prior,” costume designer Michelle Matland explained to menswear stylist Caroline Reilly for Variety after the second season aired, an earthy palette that remains associated with Kendall Roy through the end of the series.

Among my favorite of the scores of Succession-related social media accounts that I follow is @kendallroylookingsad, a Twitter and Instagram presence that the show itself seemed to subtweet in the finale as Ken’s younger siblings Shiv (Sarah Snook) and Roman vocally called out the rare sight of seeing their older brother smiling with actual elation.

Of course, there were certainly other moments through the last season where we see the eldest boy excited and eager for his next phase, whether it’s the aborted “Substack meets Masterclass meets The Economist meets The New Yorker” project The Hundred he was pitching with his siblings in “The Munsters” (Episode 4.01) or brainstorming how he would promise eternal life to Waystar RoyCo’s investors in “Living+” (Episode 4.06). Interestingly, both of these episodes were set in sunny L.A. rather than the series’ New York home base.

For both of these episodes that called for Kenny to excitedly dig his colorful designer heels into business endeavors, costume designer Michelle Matland dressed him in essentially the same outfit: an understated but overpriced brown T-shirt and blue jeans, custom-designed sunglasses, and a taupe suede zip-up jacket from one of his favorite brands, Tom Ford.

As identified by the excellent @successionfashion, the jacket is specifically the Tom Ford Light Suede Track Bomber, sold with the staggering price tag of $6,490. The “Track Bomber” nomenclature blends the adventurous legacies of athletes and aviators into one dashing zip-up piece that takes stylistic inspiration from classic leather and nylon flight jackets issued through the mid-20th century as well as the more relaxed track jackets that later became fashionable.

We know Kendall keeps a sartorial pulse on trendy streetwear, though perhaps he specifically wears this track bomber to channel the courage and reputation of America’s high-flying war heroes, though I’d hate to hear Frank, Karl, or Gerri break it to him that there’s a big difference between piloting B-29s and falsifying projected profits for a half-baked retirement community.

Tom Ford describes the color as “dark gray”, though the suede leather shell has a warmer olive finish that shines brown in certain light. The standing collar, cuffs, and hem are all the same matching ribbed-knit material. The sleeves are set-in, and horizontal yokes extend straight across the chest and back, with a vertical seam split down the center of the back between the yoke and hem. The jetted hand pockets on each side of the jacket are gently slanted, framed with raw cut edges and with a single branded silver-toned snap to close.

In both instances, Kendall appears to wear the same brown T-shirt from Tom Ford, which means it retails for $240. The jersey-knit fabric is a blend of 67% Lyocell and 33% cotton. Styled with a classic round crew-neck and short sleeves, the shirt’s hem extends a bit longer than the jacket, affecting a quasi-hip-hop look that would appeal to K-to-the-E-N.

Ken’s whiskered blue jeans are also Tom Ford, specifically the Stretch Slim Fit Denim ($750) made from a blend of 98% cotton and 2% polyurethane that provides the degree of stretch. These jeans follow the traditional layout with belt loops, two patch-style back pockets, two curved-entry front pockets riveted at each corner, and a coin/watch pocket inset on the right side.

Recalling the expensive Lanvin sneakers he had purchased specifically to impress a group of young entrepreneurs, Kendall strides through L.A. in his colorful Gucci Run sneakers.

“The Gucci Run’s dynamic appearance contrasts considerably from its humble name, as bright colors, spiraling lines, and the luxury house’s ever-covetable double-G logo combine on a performance knit upper,” reported Ian Servantes for Inverse in February 2022, anticipating the Run’s arrival in the American market later that year, just in time for Kenny to grab his pair. Like the idea of a suede Tom Ford track jacket, the streamlined Gucci sneakers (which the brand itself advises “should be protected from direct light, heat and rain”) are absolutely a status symbol rather than practical athletic gear.

The gray, green, and pink colorway that Kendall wears has already been discontinued, consisting of gray “performance-knit” uppers, perforated over the vamps and ankles. The fronts have curved forest-green overlaid tips, and the uppers are accented in aqua green, including an elongated presentation of Gucci’s interlocking-G logo on each side. The unique lacing system pulls the black laces through a trio of black plastic webs and another two sets of black speed hooks. The white soles are accented with salmon-colored rubber outsoles, with a pink extension hooking over each front tip. The front outsoles are monogrammed with the more conventional interlocking-G treatment in pink, which Gucci describes as “a playful note of chromatic contrast.”

In “The Munsters” (Episode 4.01), Kendall continues wearing the plain cashmere baseball caps that have been indelibly tied to his image since the first season. This time, it’s a $625 brown cashmere-blend cap from Kendall-favorite brand Loro Piana.

Ahead of production on Succession‘s fourth season, Jeremy Strong collaborated with Los Angeles-based limited-edition luxury eyewear firm Jacques Marie Mage to develop his screen-worn “Ripley for K.L.R.” frame, a ’60s-inspired panto design produced in a limited run of only 100 pieces for $750 each. As Strong explained in a note shared on the official @jacquesmariemage Instagram account in March 2023, his screen-worn set was embossed with “K.L.R.” on the inside. (You can see a set of the glasses themselves in their follow-up post two days later.)

“Befitting the swagger of… the complicated heir apparent,” Jacques Marie Mage explained in their description, the sunglasses are framed in crystal-brown (“London”) cured cellulose acetate, with a bumped brow-line and gently rounded around the orange-brown CR39 lenses. Apropos Kendall’s preference for luxury and prestige, the glasses boast 18-karat dark gold detailing, including the arrowhead front pins, the tension-secured five-barrel hinges, and inner wire core.

Kendall dresses identically in both “The Munsters” (Episode 4.01) and “Living+” (Episode 4.06), with the only apparent change being the addition of his Loro Piana baseball cap in “The Munsters” and his switched-out watches.

In “The Munsters”, Kendall wears the stealthy black Rolex Predator, the customized version of the Rolex “Deepsea” Sea-Dweller that was unveiled by Bamford Watch Department in 2014. Rolex had introduced its Sea-Dweller dive watch in 1967, designed as an extremely water-resistant tool for professional divers working at greater depths than could be handled by watches like the Rolex Submariner.

To the layperson’s eye, the Sea-Dweller and Deepsea are cosmetically identical to the Submariner, all following the same diving watch silhouette with rotating bezels, dials with similarly shaped luminous non-numeric hour indices and 3 o’clock date windows, and the recognizable three-piece Oyster-style link bracelet; only the Deepsea’s downsized date window, slightly larger 44mm case with a gas escape valve, and the obviously different identifying text on each watch’s dial would be the clear differences. Yet, in contrast to the 1,000-foot maximum depth of the modern Submariner, the current iteration of the Sea-Dweller is water resistant down to 4,000 feet. Already impressive, this was superseded in 2008 when Rolex introduced the Deepsea variant with its impressive depth rating of 12,800 feet—nearly two and a half miles below the surface.

When seeking a Rolex to customize for the dangerous appellation of “Predator”, BWD selected the heavy-duty Deepsea and blacked out all but the text on the dial, finishing the rest of the dial, the bezel, and the bracelet in an intimidating matte black.

Beginning at Logan’s wake in “Honeymoon States” (Episode 4.04) through the end of the series, Kendall switches to a flat titanium tonneau-shaped Richard Mille RM67-01 with an extreme skeletonized dial that reveals the automatic-winding calibre CRMA6 movement as well as a vertically oriented date display window at 5 o’clock. The hour index numerals are mounted on two parallel titanium rails attached directly to the movement. As identified by @successionfashion, this watch can cost up to $215,000.

“He’s still not ready to go quietly into this good night and has chosen a brand that is easy to recognize and somewhat brash, giving him what he probably considers street cred,” theorizes Nora Taylor for Robb Report. “He wants to be noticed, he wants to be in charge, he wants to be different from the old guard, but he still wants to be taken seriously.”

Prop master Monica Jacobs confirmed this intent to Tom Banham for Esquire, sharing that the Richard Mille watch had been specifically proposed by Jeremy Strong. “Kendall is always reaching for something big and bright and beautiful. To make himself feel good. A lot of the characters, they have this money, it’s old money for a lot of them. They’ve lived this lifestyle for so long. There’s certain flashy things that they like, but they know their style, they know what they want. Kendall comes from that world also, but he does want to reach out for something crazy. He wants to stand out so far.”

In addition to the gold Breitling that Kendall wears in “Rehearsal” (Episode 1.02), the Rolex and Richard Mille were confirmed by prop master Monica Jacobs in Tom Banham’s excellent Esquire article “How the World’s Most Sought-After Watches End up on ‘Succession'”, published in March 2023 just before the fourth season premiered.

For what it’s worth, Kendall actually wears two different Tom Ford “bomber jackets” during the fourth season, later wearing a nappa leather flight jacket for the pre-election night party in “Tailgate Party” (Episode 4.07). He had also previously worn a similarly styled track bomber jacket, albeit made by Loro Piana in a lush rust-colored corduroy, which appeared in “The Disruption” (Episode 3.03).

What to Imbibe

For an all-night planning session crunching (some may say making up) projected profit numbers and directing clouds, Kendall Roy needs to stay sharp and alert. A recovering addict whose relapses often lead to tragic outcomes, Kendall wisely avoids any major substances.

So what does the co-CEO of Waystar RoyCo drink while overseeing such an effort? Coffee? Red Bull? Nope—La Croix!

Something about La Croix is very funny and Succession knows it, from the dramatic way Kendall takes his swig from a can—is that Pamplemousse? Peach-Pear?—to the lemony interlude on Election Night two episodes later in “America Decides” (Episode 4.08).

Wisconsin-based G. Heileman Brewing Company introduced La Croix in February 1980, positioned as a more pedestrian sparkling water designed to challenge the “snobbish” association with market leader Perrier (despite also choosing a French-sounding name, which doesn’t always sit well with some Americans…)

I’ll admit that I was surprised that La Croix had been around for so long, as I didn’t feel aware of the beverage until the mid-2010s, coinciding with the brand’s owners capitalizing on the decline of sugary sodas in the U.S. and thus developing new marketing campaigns aimed at millennials like me.

How to Get the Look

When he gets to L.A. with that gleam in his eye about the next big idea—whether it’s an overstuffed media mashup or eternal life—Kendall Roy pulls on a suede track bomber that channels the fast-moving heroes of yesteryear through an elevated streetwear lens. He wears it with an understated brown T-shirt, blue jeans, and baseball cap… though the prices are hardly understated as they’re from high-end designers Tom Ford and Loro Piana, not to mention the colorful $900 Gucci sneakers.

Of course, you don’t need to drop $10,000 (and that’s before even discussing the watch) or work with a limited edition eyewear designer to pull together a comfortable, casual look like our eldest boy.

• Taupe suede zip-up track bomber jacket with ribbed-knit standing collar, cuffs, and hem, set-in sleeves, and snap-closed jetted hand pockets
  • Tom Ford Light Suede Track Bomber
• Brown lyocell/cotton crew-neck short-sleeve T-shirt
  • Tom Ford Lyocell and Cotton-Blend Jersey T-Shirt
• Blue whiskered stretch cotton denim slim-fit jeans
  • Tom Ford Blue Stretch Slim Fit Denim
• Gray performance-knit designer sneakers with webbed lacing system, forest-green toe tip, mint-green accents, and salmon-and-pink rubber outsoles
  • Gucci Run
• Dark brown cashmere-blend baseball cap
  • Loro Piana Cashmere-Blend Baseball Cap
• Crystal-brown cellulose acetate retro panto-shaped sunglases with brown-orange lenses and 18-karat dark gold accents
  • Jacques Mage Marie Ripley for K.L.R.
• Either a blacked-out Rolex “Predator” Deepsea Sea-Dweller dive watch, a skeletonized Richard Mille RM67-01, or… something more practical

Do Yourself a Favor and…

Check out the series, currently streaming on HBO Max.

For fans of the show’s style, I recommend following the great Instagram accounts @successionfashion and @successionfits.

The Quote

Here’s the rule: no one can say “no.”