Thom Browne - Brand, Fashion Designer, Luxury Suits & Stars

Thom Browne – Just like Chanel or Fendi, Thom Browne is also a luxury brand for business fashion. The luxury label Thom Browne, which has been supplying us with its unmistakable tailoring since 2004, is a staple on the runways of fashion month. Famous for his characteristic four stripes and his eccentric Fashionweek shows, Thom Browne is another designer who stands out for his collaborations with other creatives, including Moncler, Brooks Brothers, Barcelona FC, and Supreme. From the people who wear the brand to the magical runway shows – in the following article you will find everything about designer Thom Browne and his brand. Learn more about other luxury brands in our Brand Guide.

Overview hide

The Designer Thom Browne: Designer in Hollywood

Thom Browne’s Brand Signature

The Love for Thom Browne

Thom Browne Collaborations: Runway and Collaborations

Thom Brownes’ Runway Shows

Frequently Asked Questions about Thom Browne

Brands similar to Thom Browne

Fashion Brands: List

The Designer Thom Browne: Designer in Hollywood

Thom Brownes distinctive male silhouette and his otherworldly creations for women have propelled him to the top of the New York fashion scene. His aesthetic and theatrical presentations have earned Browne worldwide recognition and led to highly successful collaborations with Brooks Brothers and Moncler Gamme Bleu.

From Actor to Designer

Browne studied economics at the University of Notre Dame, where he was also a competitive swimmer. After graduating in 1988, he moved to Hollywood to become an actor and had some success with commercials. During the auditions and his work in commercials, Browne discovered his passion for altering old men’s tailoring with Johnson Hartig. After coming to terms with the fact that acting was not the right path, Browne sold his car and moved to New York in 1997, where he took a job as a salesperson at Giorgio Armani. Then he was hired by Club Monaco, which at the time belonged to Polo Ralph Lauren. Lauren recognized Browne’s potential and hired the designer to become part of the design and merchandising team at Club Monaco.

The Beginning of the Brand

In 2001, Browne founded his own label because he believed that the omnipresent casual clothing had created a market gap. Browne told New York Magazine: “I have the feeling that jeans and T-shirts have become part of the establishment. Everyone is dressed casually. Wearing a jacket is therefore an anti-establishment stance.”

Here you see designer Thom Browne:

As he was unable to finance a complete collection, Browne made five suits for himself, which he wore around the city in a kind of guerrilla marketing and begged friends and acquaintances to buy from him. In 2003, he opened his bespoke tailoring business in New York, followed by a presentation at the New York Fashion Week in 2004. In 2007, he began his collaboration with Brooks Brothers and was chosen by GQ as Designer of the Year the following year.

The Big Breakthrough

In 2011, Browne took a bold step and presented a women’s collection during the New York Fashion Week. The aesthetics of his women’s fashion are as innovative as his men’s fashion. Despite the avant-garde sensibility of his collections, Michelle Obama asked the designer to create a coat dress. Browne remained largely unknown to most Americans until the First Lady wore a custom coat-dress combination by Thom Browne, featuring a subtly checkered navy silk scarf inspired by men’s fashion, during her husband’s inauguration in 2013. Browne was again named Menswear Designer of the Year by the CFDA in 2013 and 2016.

Thom Browne Today

In August 2018, Ermenegildo Zegna acquired an 85 percent stake in the company and valued the business at around 500 million US dollars. With Browne as the sole other shareholder, he continued to remain active as Chief Creative Officer. “Thom’s suit is the new expression of the suit,” said Tommy Fazio, Director of Men’s Fashion at Bergdorf Goodman, at the time to New York Magazine. “He really influences everyone. I see that his silhouette is finding an echo everywhere in the market. But no one does it like Thom. And in the store, it has already gotten to the point where people just walk in and say: ‘Where can I find Thom Browne?’ You hear that as often nowadays as ‘Where is the ladies’ restroom?'”

A look from the Spring/Summer Collection 2020:

Thom Browne’s Brand Signature

Unlike other designers, Thom Browne does not have an official logo. Instead, the brand is recognizable by its characteristic silhouettes and the four white horizontal stripes that appear in every collection, whether on a Thom Browne sweater jacket or a shirt. Originally, there were three stripes, but this was increased to four after he was sued by Adidas, which also uses three stripes as a brand symbol.

Here you see your cardigan with the aforementioned three stripes:

The Thom Browne “3-Piece-Tailored Suit”

Also a very popular piece and one of the brand’s core elements is the famous three-piece custom suit in the brand’s gray color. The suit is largely responsible for the great success in the men’s clothing sector and also has a significant influence on the entire business fashion scene.

The three-piece suit from Thom Browne worn by LeBron James:

The Leather Hector Bag

Thom Browne is a big fan of his dog. Hector, the sweet dachshund, has his own Instagram account and is probably the second most famous pet in the fashion industry, after Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette. Hector has often appeared in Thom Browne’s collections, in the form of bags, prints, and knitwear in dog size.

Now Hector has been honored in the most elaborate way yet: with a crocodile leather bag inspired by him. Regular pieces from Thom Browne are expensive, but this special version of Hector has an astronomical price of over 30,000 euros.

Here you can see the dachshund bag from Thom Browne:

[crp limit="2"]

The Love for Thom Browne

Admittedly, Thom Browne doesn’t have the same cultural quality seal as a streetwear brand like Supreme, but his clothing items have become part of the mainstream zeitgeist thanks to many prominent co-signs and eye-catching collaborations. He has released two collaborations with Samsung, focusing on the Galaxy Z Flip and the Galaxy Z Fold, two smartphones that Browne admires for their ability to fold like the phones of the past. Yes, these Thom Browne Samsung phones even featured a four-stripe branding and a keyboard that made the sound of old typewriters when typing text.

The Galaxy Z Flip in the Thom Browne Edition:

Stars and Thom Browne

Browne’s tailored suits have even made their way into the world of sports. In 2018, Browne dressed LeBron James and the entire Cleveland Cavaliers team for the 2018 NBA Playoff road games in his suits. In the same year, Browne signed a three-year contract with the Spanish football club FC Barcelona to become the official tailor of the team for custom suits and formal wear outside of the field until the 2021-2022 season. From Odell Beckham Jr. to Cardi B, Browne has strategically styled celebrities from all social classes to promote his unique vision of tailoring. For example, at the Met Gala, he dressed celebrities such as Erykah Badu, Lil Uzi Vert, and comedian Pete Davidson, as well as actresses like Sharon Stone and Amandla Stenberg.

Here you see Erykah Badu and Lil Uzi Vert in the background dressed in and by Thom Browne:

Thom Browne Collaborations: Runway and Collaborations

Collaborating with like-minded talents and brands is a key component of Thom Browne’s success. He began his career in 2006 with a partnership with America’s oldest retailer Brooks Brothers for a 50-piece men’s and women’s collection called Black Fleece. Following the success of this collaboration, the luxury skiwear manufacturer Moncler commissioned Thom Browne to design the men’s Moncler Gamme Bleu collection.

A look from the Thom Browne x Moncler collection:

Thom Browne for Supreme and Barneys

In 2010, Thom combined high fashion tailoring with streetwear when he collaborated on a collection of three shirts with Supreme. Later in 2012, the brand worked with luxury department store Barneys New York on a diffusion line called Thom Grey, which offered tailored suits with free personalization on selected pieces.

The Supreme Collection of 2010:

Thom Browne for FC Barcelona

In 2018, Thom Brownes lifelong love for sports became evident when he announced his official partnership with FC Barcelona – undoubtedly one of the biggest partnerships to date. As the official tailor for the team’s matchwear, the players wear complete Thom Browne custom suits with wool shirts, button-down knit jackets, white Oxford shirts, tie scarves, and more, all adorned with the FC Barcelona crest. All proceeds from the collection benefit the FC Barcelona Barca Foundation.

World Footballer Lionel Messi in a Thom Browne suit:

Thom Brownes’ Runway Shows

In addition to his unforgettable designs, Thom Browne’s fashion shows during Fashion Week are always highly impactful. His designs are inspired by themes from Thom’s life, whether it’s his athletic influence or his family traditions, and his shows are an opportunity for his creativity to flourish.

For Thom Browne’s Autumn/Winter 20 show, the runway was transformed into a winter wonderland covered in snow. The models walked the runway in pairs and wore animal heads to represent the theme of Noah’s Ark and the climate change movement.

Take a look at your 2020 fashion show look:

Frequently Asked Questions about Thom Browne

Here you will find the most frequently asked questions about Thom Browne on the internet:

Is Thom Browne a luxury brand?

Thom Browne, born in 1965, is an American fashion designer. He is the founder and creative director of Thom Browne, a luxury brand based in New York City that offers men’s and women’s fashion.

What is Thom Browne known for?

The brand is known for its reimagining of the classic men’s suit. It gained recognition for its women’s fashion after the First Lady of the USA, Michelle Obama, wore one of its designs during the presidential inauguration in 2013.

Is Thom Browne produced in Italy?

The elaborately designed store combines Brownes’ love for American and French mid-century furniture with the long history of his brand in Milan – a large portion of the Thom Browne collection is produced in Italy, making the Milanese Via Gesù one of the most visited locations of the designer.

Brands similar to Thom Browne

Im Folgenden findest du Beiträge zu Marken die gewisse Ähnlichkeiten mit Thom Brownes’ Arbeit haben. Von Anzügen bis zu Stars gibt es auch andere Marken die in diesen Segmenten agieren.

Thom Browne Videos

Take a look at the interesting collections and campaigns in our Thom Browne video contribution.

Thom Browne Videos

Raf Simons / Raf Simons Videos

Raf Simons has also had a section in classic businesswear with a touch of luxury during his career. The designer also came from a non-fashion background, similar to Thom Browne. Take a closer look at the designer’s career and his brand in our Raf Simons contribution or let yourself be inspired by his collections and fashion shows in our Raf Simons Videos contribution.

Yves Saint Laurent / Videos

Also a very well-known brand for classic luxury fashion for him and her is Yves Saint Laurent. From beautiful evening wear to staged Haute Couture, you will also find everything your fashion heart desires at Yves Saint Laurent. In our articles about Yves Saint Laurent, you can get to know the brand more closely and take a closer look at the collections and campaigns.

Fashion Brands: List

You’re thrilled by Thom Browne and want to discover more brands? Take a look at our Fashion Guide here and get to know the top fashion brands from around the world. Extravagant Haute Couture. Refined Ready-to-wear. Luxurious sportswear and innovative accessories. The most luxurious fashion brands in the world enchant millions of people and fashion lovers every year with their exquisite collections. They camp outside the stores to get their hands on limited special editions, stand on the streets of Paris during the highly coveted Fashion Week, and sit wide-eyed in front of their televisions to watch the newest and hippest runway shows. Here is the ultimate fashion brand guide.