Solange’s dress in Casino Royale does not shout. It is pomegranate silk satin with a soft cowl neckline, and the drama is saved for the back, which is laced rather than sequinned. Jenny Packham designed the original for the film and in 2021 recreated it as the Jenny Packham Casino Royale Lace-Up Gown, part of her 007 capsule collection. It is, in our view, the most wearable evening dress in the Bond wardrobe.
In the film
Caterina Murino’s Solange wears the gown in Casino Royale (2006). It is first seen as she enters the poker room at the One & Only Ocean Club Casino, and she is still wearing it when Daniel Craig’s Bond picks her up at the hotel entrance in his newly won Aston Martin DB5. The gown sold today is Packham’s recreation of that design, not the dress from the film.
The details of the Jenny Packham Casino Royale Lace-Up Gown
Heavy silk satin, cut on the bias. Satin cut across the grain falls and moves with the body instead of standing away from it. It needs little structure to hold its line, which is why the dress looks effortless rather than constructed.
Pomegranate. Packham describes the colour as pomegranate, though some retailers file it simply as pink. It is a warm, fruit-toned shade. Colour varies from screen to screen, so check the retailer’s photographs before you order.
A cowl neckline. The neckline is soft and draped. It carries the dress on its own, so a necklace is optional and often unnecessary.
The lace-up back. This is the detail that makes it. Packham kept it faithful to the original, so the dress is simple from the front and considered from behind.
A small piece of Bond history. The gown joined the Jenny Packham x 007 Capsule Collection on 5 October 2021, Global James Bond Day. The collection also recreates Miranda Frost’s gown from Die Another Day. Packham has said that Murino told her the dress changed her life, which tells you how well it worked on screen.
Wearing it now
This is a gown for an evening that deserves one: a black-tie dinner, the opera, an autumn wedding, a night at the tables. We would keep everything around it quiet. Small earrings, hair up so the back is seen, flat gold or nothing at the neck, and a simple clutch. The dress has already done the talking.
What he wears beside it. A midnight or black dinner suit, a white shirt and a plain black bow tie. Nothing should compete with the colour. Our clothing pages cover the rest of the wardrobe.
Fit. Bias-cut satin is unforgiving of a poor fit. Check the retailer’s size guide, and budget for a tailor if the proportions need adjusting. A lace-up back allows some give, but it will not rescue a gown cut for a different frame.
New or look-alike? We would buy new from an authorised retailer. Resale listings exist, but asking prices vary widely and provenance is harder to judge. A plain bias-cut satin slip in a similar shade is a less costly route in the spirit of the look, though it will not have the lace-up back.
Specifications
| Designer | Jenny Packham |
|---|---|
| Collection | Jenny Packham x 007 Capsule Collection (launched 5 October 2021) |
| Fabric | Heavy silk satin, cut on the bias |
| Colour | Pomegranate (listed as pink by some retailers) |
| Neckline | Cowl |
| Back | Lace-up |
| Length | Full-length gown |
| RRP | Set by the retailer; see the current listing for price and sizes |
Full details of the collection are on Jenny Packham’s own website.
Questions
Is this the dress Solange wears in Casino Royale?
No, it is Jenny Packham’s recreation of the design. Packham created the original for the film, and the 2021 gown is a new version of it as part of her 007 capsule collection, not the dress that was on set.
Who designed the Casino Royale dress?
Jenny Packham, the British evening and bridal designer. She also designed a gown for Miranda Frost in Die Another Day, which is part of the same capsule collection.
What is the Jenny Packham Casino Royale gown made of?
Heavy silk satin, cut on the bias, with a cowl neckline and a lace-up back. The shade is usually described as pomegranate.
How much does it cost?
It is priced in the thousands, and the figure varies by retailer and region. The retailer’s listing carries the current price and the sizes still available.
More from the world of Craig’s Bond is in our film guides.
