Netflix is doubling down on tension. No spoilers, but the second season of the hit anthology series Beef has been hailed as a simmering, volatile exploration of the generational divide between millennials and Gen Z. And with an all-new ensemble of elite actors that includes Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny, Beef is primed to deliver extreme cortisol spikes.
The accompanying press tour, however — interviews, the L.A. premiere, The Kelly Clarkson Show — has been anything but contentious, at least as far as the menswear is concerned. Whether by accident or some predetermined scheme, Melton and Isaac have developed a synergistic sartorial wavelength. The duo has been in top form, riding a frequency that could only be described as harmonious. (In other words: zero beef.)
Take, for instance, the season’s Los Angeles premiere. Isaac, a seasoned menswear titan, rolled up in a fiery eruption of tonal Celine — a slightly-oversized “ultra red” dress shirt, tucked into single-pleat burgundy trousers, with a maroon sweater slung casually over his shoulders. Effortlessly cool and a bit casual, despite the magmatic tones involved.
Melton, on the other hand, also arrived in Celine, but as the yang to Isaac’s yin, opting for a pinch-waist tailored blazer in navy and wide-leg slacks. (Also, a very sleek Cartier Tank.)
It’s worth pointing out that the two have different stylists — Isaac works with industry veteran Matthew Henson, while Melton is styled by Samantha McMillen. Regardless of whether or not the looks were coordinated, the visual contrast between the two is galaxy-brain work.
Subsequent stops have provided more goodness. At the New York premiere, Melton took a page out of Isaac’s playbook with similarly tonal Valentino suiting dressed down with a knit wrapped around the neck. (Isaac threw on Bode for the occasion.) Elsewhere, there have been leather jackets and oversized suiting, inverted color palettes and canary-colored V-necks — all further proof of two bona fide A-listers bringing their A-game.
While you won’t catch the same vibes between Melton and Isaac on-screen in season two of Beef — although the costume design of the show is surprisingly considered — there’s certain to be some sparks.
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