Thom Browne shortens the pants on fashion
And these shows were not just any regular down-the-runway shows. Browne's shows were once described as "often influenced by women's wear and unnamed, dark forces" and as weird as that sounds, it is intriguingly true. Browne has had his models ice skate in a mini-rink while showing off his Fall '06 collection, had them parade around a circus ring (where he marched them on stilts and in three-legged pants) in his Fall '08 show and more recently walked them on freshly cut grass runways in his tennis-inspired Spring '09 show.
He claims the humor in his shows helps offset the seriousness of his clothes, and his clothes are very, very serious indeed. Everything is based off his signature suit (which he wears everyday), the color palette centered on gray and extending a stone's throw past black and white on each side.
Browne dreams of better days when men will wear suits for pleasure and status, not as a uniform as they do today. Simply put, classic and conservative is the new radical rebellion against conformity in fashion. And yet above all that, Browne is still very much a routine-driven man. A morning run in Central Park, followed by breakfast at the same restaurant, go to work and finish with dinner at another restaurant is the schedule that defines his day. Interestingly, Browne is one of a few designers who makes suits that old-fashioned way - in his New York factory full of old Italian tailors.
And yet, the Thom Browne Man stands unique on the battlefield between radical and conformity, knee-deep in belittled masculinity. The Browne Man is a simple man who enjoys the smaller things in life, the subtler aspects maybe, like a silver tie clip or a crisp white pocket square, details that are overlooked by the regular man in his quest for wealth, power and sex. Perhaps the well-known New York Times fashion columnist, Cathy Horyn, put it best when she called Browne a "Philosopher Brat."
In the end, whatever Thom Browne has done to men's fashion, it's inarguable that he's left a mark. And if he manages to persuade men to raise their pants just a quarter of an inch off their shoes, that quarter of an inch will be monumental.
He claims the humor in his shows helps offset the seriousness of his clothes, and his clothes are very, very serious indeed. Everything is based off his signature suit (which he wears everyday), the color palette centered on gray and extending a stone's throw past black and white on each side.
Browne dreams of better days when men will wear suits for pleasure and status, not as a uniform as they do today. Simply put, classic and conservative is the new radical rebellion against conformity in fashion. And yet above all that, Browne is still very much a routine-driven man. A morning run in Central Park, followed by breakfast at the same restaurant, go to work and finish with dinner at another restaurant is the schedule that defines his day. Interestingly, Browne is one of a few designers who makes suits that old-fashioned way - in his New York factory full of old Italian tailors.
And yet, the Thom Browne Man stands unique on the battlefield between radical and conformity, knee-deep in belittled masculinity. The Browne Man is a simple man who enjoys the smaller things in life, the subtler aspects maybe, like a silver tie clip or a crisp white pocket square, details that are overlooked by the regular man in his quest for wealth, power and sex. Perhaps the well-known New York Times fashion columnist, Cathy Horyn, put it best when she called Browne a "Philosopher Brat."
In the end, whatever Thom Browne has done to men's fashion, it's inarguable that he's left a mark. And if he manages to persuade men to raise their pants just a quarter of an inch off their shoes, that quarter of an inch will be monumental.
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londontimes
posted 12/08/08 @ 10:01 AM EST
great article. I love thom browne's new approach to the suit. its totally modern and different yet grounded in the tradition of menswear... really cool. (Continued…)
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