Impeccable tailoring, deconstructed suiting, and microscopic attention to detail? It can only be Thom Browne.
Browne, who launched his eponymous menswear label in 2003, branched into womenswear years later with a bold declaration: “There is no dividing line between men’s and women’s fashion, it’s always just a matter of cut.”
Now, wearing the designer is a sign of sartorial cultivation among celebrities. He refers to his famous clients as members of the “Thom Browne family” and puts on incredible spectacles, like the Edgar-Allen-Poe-themed runway show — complete with actress Carrie Coon reciting “The Raven” — that capped off New York Fashion Week in February.
Attending the Critics Choice Awards in January, superstar Billie Eilish was studious and stylish in a Thom Browne look that fit flawlessly. Layering a cleverly crafted bodice and pencil skirt over a floor-length shirt dress with a peek-a-boo hem, and sealing the ensemble with Browne’s signature platform brogues, the singer showed exactly what she was made of on the carpet.
Next up, on the heels of her incredible press tour for “Dune: Part Two,” Zendaya served an ace while promoting “Challengers” in London. The leading lady donned a custom sequin halter dress with a drop waist and mesh panels along the skirt, creating the effect of a classic tennis number. In case you haven’t picked up on Browne’s extraordinary eye for small flourishes, the Zendaya’s dress was also embroidered with tiny tennis rackets throughout. Can you say game, set, match?
Emma Chamberlain, meanwhile, pulled off a bodice-ripping illusion at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. Attaché case at the ready, the internet personality meant business when she slipped into a custom corset styled to look like a cummerbund and a floor-length skirt in silk faille.
At the 2024 Met Gala, with its “Garden of Time” dress code, Browne’s presence also loomed large. In fact, the very J.G. Ballard story which lent its name to the gala’s theme previously served as the inspiration for Browne’s spring 2021 show.
Needless to say, Browne’s class of 2024 Met Gala attendees came to play on the first Monday in May.
Supermodel Gigi Hadid bloomed in a voluminous, beaded gown which flowed into a silk moiré menswear jacket at the waist. Between the gown and the skirt, the entire confection required more than 70 people and 13,500 hours of construction. From the dimensional yellow roses to the green vines that run throughout the garment, every detail brings the one-of-a-kind design to life.
“Dune: Part Two” Reverend Mother Rebecca Ferguson appeared on the Met steps in an avian-inspired invention, replete with green and blue Swarovski crystal florets. Arriving with her black cape fastened snugly beneath her chin, Ferguson swept open her cape with a flourish to reveal the full, 60,000-crystal creation.
Brooklyn Nets basketball star Ben Simmons brought his own shot clock with a whimsical briefcase, while wearing a tartan coat that looked like it was in the process of being stitched. A hand-painted white rose on the right side of the jacket gave another nod to the night’s theme, while the trademark tailoring of Thom Browne menswear was in full effect throughout the tweed three-piece suit.
But look out: Something “Wicked” this way comes. The soon-to-be Elphaba Cynthia Erivo wasn’t caught in a storm of stems on her way to the Met — in fact, Browne’s team superimposed sequin and lurex embroidery, with more than 2,000 silk moiré petals and embroidered insects, atop a tailored skirt suit.
