THE JOURNAL
In America: This Exclusive Collection From Thom Browne Is “What I Would Have Worn At Notre Dame”
Mr Thom Browne turned the New York style scene on its head in the late 2000s with his subversive take on traditional business attire and has gone on to become one of our favourite designers. So when we started planning In America, our three-week celebration of US design, his name was at the top of the list.
It is with great delight, then, that we can reveal that Browne has designed an exclusive 12-piece capsule collection just for us. The line-up will feel immediately familiar to fans of the Thom Browne brand, with classic collegiate staples such as varsity jackets, Oxford shirts and sporty blazers playing a central role. “This sensibility is always truly American to me,” says the designer, who describes the collection as “what I would have worn at Notre Dame”.
Want to see more? We’ve picked out five of our favourite pieces. Carry on scrolling to check them out for yourself.
01.
The doggy bag
Hector – the dachshund owned by Browne and his partner, the curator Mr Andrew Bolton – lends his name and form to one of the brand’s most famous accessories, the Hector bag. This version, rendered like much of the collection in panels of burgundy, grey and bottle green, plays a specific role in the designer’s collegiate fantasy. “I would have kept all my pens and pencils and maybe some strawberry-flavoured lip gloss in a Hector,” he says. “Everyone would have been so jealous.”
02.
The sports blazer
The collection’s colour-blocking theme is perhaps best illustrated by this blazer, which is cut from contrasting panels of lightweight melton wool that are further accentuated through the use of bright white piping along the lapels, pockets and cuffs. Elsewhere it’s classic Thom Browne, the signature shrunken proportions, the grosgrain lining and the four stripes on the left sleeve leaving little doubt as to its origins. Browne, as ever, remains a master of the subtle art of branding.
03.
The varsity jacket
The varsity jacket is having a bit of a moment right now. Everyone from CELINE HOMME to Greg Lauren is putting their spin on this collegiate classic and Thom Browne’s version is up there with our favourites. The burgundy and green colour scheme echoed throughout the collection lends itself perfectly to the jacket’s contrasting felted-wool body and leather sleeves, while the signature Thom Browne tricolour motif is right at home on the ribbed cuffs and collar.
04.
The woollen warmers
If colour-block tailoring or a bag shaped like a dachshund is a step or two outside your comfort zone, then why not opt for accessories instead? This ribbed cashmere beanie is an altogether more subtle way of telegraphing your affinity for the Thom Browne brand and if you want to double or even triple up, you have the option of pairing it with the coordinating gloves and scarf.
05.
The striped tie
What collegiate-inspired collection is complete without a tie? This one in wide red, white and pale-grey stripes has an old-school sporting club feel about it, but it’s cut narrow for a more contemporary look. The material in question is mogador, a cotton and silk-blend fabric with a twill-like handle that is named after the old name for Essaouira, a port town on the western coast of Morocco.