Thom Browne has been acquiring some iconic American real estate as of late, and it’s helping him build heritage into his brand.
After fixing up and moving into Anne Vanderbilt’s 1920s Sutton Place home in New York City, he and partner Andrew Bolton bought a Colonial-era home in the Hudson River Valley with an equally storied pedigree: Teviotdale.
Designed in 1773 by Walter Livingston, son of Robert Livingston Jr., the country home belonged to steamboat inventor Robert Fulton and already played a starring role in the fall 2021 campaign that Browne shot there with David Harbour and Anh Duong.
The Georgian/Federal style manse — along with references to Edgar Allan Poe’s macabre — inspired his pre-fall women’s collection in which he reasserts American tailoring as his foundation, with a few new twists. (There’s even a bag designed to look like the house.)
“It was about what we introduced at couture in July, and emphasizing the American sensibility in that softer shoulder jacket. And Edgar Allan Poe…I just love the darkness of his stories,” he explained.
Is Browne also saying his new home listed on the National Register of Historic Residences is creepy?
“Well, it’s a little creepy now because it needs so much work,” he laughed. “But we’re looking forward to the project.” (He can fill it with crystal from his new collaboration with Baccarat, and whatever other home goods he has in the works, perhaps.)
As chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, Browne is passionate about proving that American sportswear is equal in artistry and importance to European couture. (After showing couture in Paris in July, he’s returning to New York Fashion Week in February.)
And this pre-collection does that, with all the suiting, heritage tweeds and school uniform tartans he’s known for, plus rose and raven intarsias that pay homage to Poe at a moment when pop culture can’t get enough of horror.
Certain pieces have a more sporty, utilitarian sensibility, including chic cargo pocketed suiting, glossy puffers after a footballer’s, and wingtips with a softer, more flexible sole.
Browne’s accessory business is really growing, with his version of fashion’s on-trend mary janes called Thom Johns, and a new “skirt bag” referencing one of his most important contributions to fashion overall, democratizing the skirt.
Rose-shaped pillbox hats with veils are also a hoot, as are old school Bermuda bags that broaden the designer’s reach into preppydom. Increased attention to shirting with collar details and embellishments was feminine and fun.
So a year in, what’s been the most rewarding part of the CFDA gig so far?
“Because I wasn’t always looking at what everyone was doing before, it’s realizing and seeing everything going on in America,” he said. “There’s a real commitment to doing important work. And there’s a lot of new people out there.”
