Thom Browne

Tailor-turned-fashion designer, Thom Browne made his fashion début twenty years ago, designing five perfectly structured suits, and presenting his talent in his typically down-to-earth way. His innovative approach to uniform, which he considers the ideal garment for expressing individuality and self-confidence, has earned him recognition across the fashion scene. Forging relationships with Vogue magazine and buoyed by the trust his clients placed in him, he dreamed up a first menswear collection and used it to dress two rock bands, proof - if proof were needed - that there was nothing outdated about the suit, and that it's actually the perfect sartorial statement for those with something to say. He has since continued to challenge and update this idea of a "modern uniform", re-cutting and changing up classic suit to make them objects of desire, packed with personality and style. Pleated trousers become shorts revealing bold red socks, jackets are adorned with checks, dolphins and lobsters are emblazoned in prints on three-piece suits... With his American sensibility and his meticulous tailoring, classic at first glance but actually full of humour, Thom Browne proves that fashion has no gender and reaches out to the child in us. It's through these child's eyes that he seems to see the world and dream up his catwalk shows. While some models parade in the middle of fake cars, others wear hats so high they could be borrowed from cartoon characters. Other surprises spotted at Thom Browne include masculine undergarments worn over turtleneck jumpsuits, and the red, white and blue stripe featured on accessories, proving that there is nothing dull about the suit, on the contrary, it is the ideal canvas to express originality and personal style. His animal-shaped bags are another example of the designer's love of whimsy. Somewhere between fashion accessory and soft toy for children, they encourage us to rethink our relationship to fashion. Wearing a Thom Browne piece is a statement, showing freedom of thought, a sharp sense of humour and a benevolent vision of the future, where all personalities are free to express themselves.