‘Industry’ Costume Designer on Mastering Henry’s ‘Everyman’ Tech Bro Style In Season 4: ‘It’s Meant to Be Casual But It’s Very, Very Stage-Managed’ 

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In Season 4, Episode 4 of “Industry,” Henry Muck (Kit Harrington) is intent on convincing everyone, including himself, that he’s finally become the man he’s always wanted to be. His clothes play no small part in that performance.

The erratic British aristocrat — who, just two episodes ago, was moping around his palatial mansion, indulging in self-pity and cocaine — is now (allegedly) sober, disciplined and determined to make a name for himself outside his family. As he declared to Yasmin (Marisa Abela) in Episode 2: “A man is meant to work.” For Henry, that means leading the tech startup Tender to unprecedented success as its CEO.

When it came to dressing this “new Henry” — self-assured, intelligent, focused — costume designer Laura Smith says she turned to the louche, casual style of modern-day tech entrepreneurs. “The ones doing large presentations and TED-type talks,” she tells Variety. 

The TED Talk comparison makes sense, given that Henry’s new facade culminates in an investor presentation, during which he makes grand remarks about the future of Tender, a slideshow running behind him. The whole thing calls to mind Steve Jobs’ iconic product unveilings, in which he would proselytize about Apple’s promise to “reinvent” — all while wearing Levi’s jeans and New Balance sneakers.

Henry’s version of the tech bro uniform, curated by Smith, consists of a salmon-hued buttoned shirt from Peter Christian (sleeves rolled up), Sunspel’s denim-washed jeans and heavy-duty boots from the American brand Red Wing. “I wanted this idea of ‘I am an everyman, and I’m ready to roll my sleeves up and go to work,’” Smith says. “It’s linked to this crazy idea that somehow work will redeem you” — a theme, as any “Industry”-head will know, central to the HBO drama.

More than anything, Henry’s outfit in this scene is an attempt at relatability: unfussy, casual — something thrown together in minutes because he has more important things to care about than his clothes (but it’s actually “very, very stage-managed,” Smith says.) This sartorial story is further reinforced when Henry goes off script during his speech, proclaiming that despite being a billionaire who has “succeeded unfairly,” he is ultimately just human — and capable of true empathy. “Sincerity is today’s rarest commodity,” he declares. But “not here. Not at Tender. Not under my watch.”

When Tender’s financial manager expresses concern over his off-the-cuff speech from backstage, Yasmin assures him: “If he buys it, then they will.” Sure enough, the crowd erupts into applause.

Shop pieces inspired by Henry’s “everyman” style below: