Inside Thom Browne’s Enchanting, Romantic Universe
Leave it to Thom Browne to go full-on romantic at his show, which took place on Valentine’s Day. The fanfare around the acclaimed designer, beloved for his theatrical and heady presentations, felt especially charged with love this season, as he headed stateside to New York Fashion Week for the first time in over two years.
With each collection, Browne delves deeper into a fantasy. Upon entering The Shed, I immediately knew we were in for a treat when I spotted a massive white propellor plane crashed into a mound of Thom Browne-gray sand, with papier-mâché stars and moons above. It set the scene for a runway version of The Little Prince that clocked in at just over a half an hour, taking on the air of a play and delivering a dose of much-needed drama to the fashion week schedule.
Thom Browne fall/winter 2023.
Browne’s takeaway of the well-known story was the feeling that children know better than adults, as they see the world with unbiased, untainted eyes; his childlike sense of wonder was evident in the dramatic retelling of the story. Madame Debra Shaw played the pilot, with new face Alex Consani starring as the Prince, doe-eyed and unaware of his future fate. The so-called “planets” that the Prince visits entered, with six male models in richly embroidered sheath dresses depicting each planet. After, the “adults” appeared, clad in Browne’s signature suiting, complete with ginormous shoulders, rigorous tailoring, and bouclé tweeds and satin, all in the strict color palette he’s best known for: grey, red, blue, and navy.
Then came the children, led by Jessica Stam, who is experiencing somewhat of a renaissance with her return to the runways, dressed in off-kilter, deconstructed suiting, corsetry, boning, and skirts—all slightly undone. Paisley clashed with plaids, which clashed with tartans, showing the innocent way children tend to get dressed, blissfully unaware of societal norms and fashion faux pas. Models teetered on massive platforms with clocks as heels; Browne’s dachshund-shaped bags and briefcases were also stamped with clocks. Anna Cleveland slithered in wearing an almost overwhelmingly beaded snake-like dress, attacking the Prince and prompting his demise. Precious Lee swooped in as the angel, to save the Prince and save the day, bringing him back to life and sending him back to his home planet.
Thom Browne hands a heart-shaped box of chocolates to his husband, Andrew Bolton.
The sweetest end to the show came when Browne trotted out for his bow and brought a heart-shaped box of chocolates to his husband Andrew Bolton, who sat front row to cheer on his partner. The genuine ear-to-ear smile on Browne’s face as he shyly delivered the sweet gift drove home the genuine simplicity, beauty, and grace in creating from the heart and leading with love. To quote The Little Prince, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
Kevin LeBlanc is the Fashion Associate at ELLE Magazine. He covers fashion news, trends, and anything to do with Robyn Rihanna Fenty.