Thom Browne
The Label
Thom Browne has always been his own best advertisement—literally. For his first menswear collection in 2001, he actually slipped into the five meticulously crafted suits himself and wore them around town. Suit wearers and retailers quickly fell for Browne’s slim lapels and slightly cropped, skinny trousers, especially in the wake of the disheveled “business casual” trend that swept menswear.
The Look
So geekishly chic, it’s cool.
The Designer
With no design training—he has an undergrad business degree and a failed acting career—Browne started in fashion by working the sales floor at Giorgio Armani before working his way up the design chain at Club Monaco, and then going solo. In 2005, just four years after opening up his first by-appointment-only bespoke store downtown, Browne was nominated for a CFDA—he won it in 2006, putting him in the same circle as past winners Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, and Helmut Lang. In fall 2007, he will debut capsule men’s, women’s, and accessories collections under the globally recognized Brooks Brothers banner.
