It is a remarkable absence. New York fashion week, which runs from Thursday September 7 to Wednesday September 13, will not see Thom Browne, president of the Council of American Fashion Designers (CFDA). The designer, who is one of the best elements of the American scene, may have fulfilled the highest function within the institutions since October 2022, he is nonetheless magnetized by Paris, where his ready-to-wear line parades. regularly for twelve years.
In July, the 57-year-old designer even took a step by entering the restricted circle of Parisian haute couture. At the Palais Garnier, his parade featured the model Alek Wek, surrounded by characters in gray outfits of astonishing virtuosity. Where wool and silk threads, used as brushes, drew seascapes evoking his native East Coast: a giant lobster embroidered along the spine, square sequins reproducing pixelated crabs, interlocking and stitched tulle bands pearls mimicking the movement of the waves.
The sophistication of the pieces had nothing to envy to the historic fashion houses, but the make-up and the clownish wigs gave the whole a quirky side. “Haute couture is a serious discipline, so if you present it seriously, it becomes boring”, justifies the designer who, twenty years after the creation of his brand in New York, proves that he is one of the greats of his time. Those we want to hear about fashion, especially since it remains little known in France.
But if Thom Browne displays extraordinary fantasy through his shows and his clothes, it’s another matter in an interview. Met in Paris the day after his haute couture show, the American, cordial and warm, reveals nothing. Smiling, he invariably returns to his obsession with quality, to his desire to be faithful to his values. Which ones? “Doing things well, with conviction, with respect for others. » In the absence of statements shattering, his journey sheds light on the character.
Seller at Armani
Thom Browne seems to live for fashion these days (and actually lives in Manhattan with New York’s “Mr. Fashion,” Andrew Bolton, curator of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute), but he doesn’t have one. always been like this. The designer was born in Allentown, a large city in Pennsylvania, where his parents were lawyers. In his youth, he participated in swimming competitions, was part of the athletics team at the University of Notre Dame (Indiana), where he studied economics. Once graduated, he became a consultant, then moved to Los Angeles: he dreamed of being an actor, appeared in a few advertisements, joined the Guild of Actors, a union for the profession. The name “Tom Browne” being already taken, he adds an “h” to his to distinguish himself from it. His film career will be brief, but the “h” will remain.
In 1997, he moved to New York. To earn a living, he became a salesman at Armani, then at Club Monaco, a ready-to-wear brand bought in 1999 by Ralph Lauren. The latter spots him and offers him to join the creative teams. “Ralph Lauren knows how to spot people’s potential”, says Thom Browne. And what did he see at home? “I’m good at coming up with ideas and creating clothes that tell stories. »
He began making clothes for himself in 2001, with five custom-made suits. “At a time when everyone wore jeans and t-shirts, he was desperate to update the American costume and he had a clear idea of how to go about it”analyzes Miki Higasa, American press officer, who accompanied him from the beginning.
In 2003, Thom Browne officially launched his own brand and opened a small boutique in the Meatpacking District, New York. “At the beginning, in his showroom, there must have been two shirts and three suits. But with perfect colors, materials and cutsremembers Sarah Andelman, founder of the Parisian boutique Colette (closed in 2017), who supported Thom Browne from the launch of his label. His clothes were so well made that the sellers [de Colette] loved wearing them, and it made customers want them. »
During the 2000s, the Thom Browne style grew to become a complete and mixed uniform from 2011, with the development of the women’s line: the impeccable shirt is worn under a wool cardigan and a jacket with the shoulders rounded, with a little short pants, all in anthracite color. A set that could seem banal, if several details did not make it unique. The small white label sewn at the bottom of the shirt on which the name of Thom Browne is written by hand. The red, white and blue grosgrain ribbon embroidered along the buttonhole of the waistcoat or in the lining a jacket – a nod to the medals he won while swimming. Or four parallel bands positioned around the sleeve – which earned him several lawsuits from Adidas, the German equipment manufacturer judging this acronym too close to his. In 2023, American justice won the case for Thom Browne.
“Starting from scratch, Thom has created a complete brand, with a very identifiable stylistic vocabulary, a universe that he embodies himself”, says Sharon Coplan Hurowitz, a freelance New York publisher and longtime client. Because, unlike most designers, Thom Browne dresses with the pieces he sells. “How could I expect people to wear my clothes if I don’t? »defends the one who always appears in an irreproachably chic gray suit-shorts, with woolen socks and leather derbies. “This suit-shorts was a new silhouette in the landscape of men’s fashion, it changed the lives of some men, believes Sarah Andelman. Its customers are very loyal to it, it’s almost a club. » “The most satisfying thing about wearing Thom Browne is the feeling of being part of a community”confirms Sharon Coplan Hurowitz.
Spectacular shows
A community that Thom Browne has expanded over time, through ingenious operations. In 2006, he entered into a three-year partnership with American men’s costume champion Brooks Brothers, which popularized his name across the Atlantic. For nine years, he collaborated with the star of luxury down jackets Moncler, for its Gamme Bleu, which showed in Milan. His already spectacular shows allow him to make himself known to a European audience and to disseminate his universe tailoring chic with sportswear fans. In 2018, the Italian group Zegna bought 85% of the shares of the Thom Browne brand, seduced by its strong identity, its innovative design, its artisanal approach. Since this acquisition, the company has doubled in size. It now has more than 450 employees and 350 distributors spread across around forty countries. The objective is to maintain this growth.
“Sometimes I feel like we are only at the beginning of the adventure. So many people don’t know about my collections! »slips Thom Browne. “At Galeries Lafayette, its clientele is essentially made up of Asians and Americans, who are ready to invest in offbeat pieces, confirms Alice Feillard, director of offers and purchasing for men at the Parisian department store. Its fashion, both humorous and luxurious, appeals less to the French, who focus on more classic purchases. »