Drive

In Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2011 film Drive, Ryan Gosling anchors his performance as the stoic “Driver” with a now-legendary white satin bomber jacket, its back embroidered with a large golden scorpion. Costume designer Erin Benach and Richard Lim of High Society built the piece from scratch, selecting a quilted satin weave and real wool cuffs and collar to balance nostalgia with modern edge. Drawing on 1950s Korean souvenir jackets and Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising, the scorpion motif captures the Driver’s cool restraint alongside latent violence. Intrigued by vintage examples, Gosling collaborated with Benach and Lim to refine the jacket’s relaxed drape into something sleek and precise. When blood spatters stain its satin surface, the scorpion shifts from a symbol of control to a silent witness of moral descent, sealing the jacket’s place in neo-noir iconography.

We at High Society created 27 identical jackets to support scenes requiring varying states of wear, from spotless to bloodied, or bullet-ridden. Working directly from Erin Benach’s original renderings and patterns, our atelier matched every detail, the drape of the satin, the exact golden‑thread embroidery, and the pure wool ribbing at the cuffs and collar. In the years since, collectors and fans around the world have commissioned us to recreate the Driver’s jacket for their own wardrobes, seeking the same screen‑accurate detailing. This dedication to precision underscores our commitment to honoring cinematic heritage, while delivering garments meant to be lived in.

High Society’s involvement with Drive exemplifies our longstanding role in Hollywood costuming, where we seamlessly shift between contemporary pieces and period wardrobes across film, television, and theater. Whether recreating a cult film icon’s jacket or prototyping new concepts, we apply our tailoring expertise and collaborative approach to meet creative briefs with accuracy and intent. Our adaptability and attention to detail have made us a trusted partner across a range of productions in the U.S. and around the world.

Our work on Drive reflects High Society’s commitment to precision, versatility, and storytelling through clothing. Creating multiple identical pieces for a fast-paced production demanded thoughtful planning and seamless execution, all while honoring the film’s visual language. We’re drawn to projects where costume plays a central role in the narrative, we approach each piece with careful attention to continuity and character. It’s in these details that the wardrobe contributes quietly (but meaningfully) to the bigger picture.