Thom Browne

The New York Times has an interesting article about Thom Browne, the American designer who recently won the CFDA award as menswear designer of the year, and his fusty, rigidly uncool business-man suiting style that has become the new name in cool!

The epitome of living his brand, Mr Browne has for the past five years been recognised for the outfit he always wears- a short-jacket-and-pants
silhouette he created that until recently was seen as sweet but goofy, a look no real man would
wear. Never tiring of smart dressing and believing in the importance of neatness in an increasingly casual world, he revels in his daily conformity “People think wearing a uniform makes you less interesting, but I think the opposite.”

In keeping with this overall feel his first store- a 2,000-square-foot site at 100 Hudson
Street in TriBeCa that is opening this week, is designed with  "ivory terrazzo floor and gray marble walls
bringing to mind, as his clothes do, an elegant early-60’s bank
somewhere between Milan and Pittsburgh".

The fashion world are full of praise, not just for his clothing but for what he has achieved through it-

‘ "Whether you personally appreciate the silhouette or not, he’s taken
something men do every morning for years — put on a suit — and made it
different. It’s really a tremendous feat.” His enthusiasm for minute details of tailoring has made the idea of
putting on a suit seem not an unwelcome duty but a luxurious option, a
concept almost alien to a generation of men in their 30’s and 40’s. And
for better or for worse, his prices have helped legitimize the suit as
a status item with young men for whom Brioni and Kiton seem old hat.’

A true brand identity and belief in style over fashion that have led to great kudos and financial reward, Thom Browne is one to watch- especially now that he is designing special collections for Brooks Brothers.

read the article