BoF LIVE: Thom Browne Talks His Style of Repetitive Radicalism

Thom Browne, known for his shrunken suits and taut, theatrical shows, toes the line between fashion and art. While he believes his collections and presentations transcend trends, he also thinks that some people wouldn’t even see what he’s doing as capital F fashion, given his focus on repetition and only ever-so-slight deviations from sartorial norm. This week on #BoFLIVE, Browne sits down with editor-at-large Tim Blanks to talk the theory behind tailoring, as well as unpack the challenges Browne has faced on the way to building a half-a-billion dollar business.

While Browne says would never call his collections art, he would still gladly accept the label. He describes his unusual shows as performances and a culmination of the creative process that fills the room with tension while putting viewers on the spot. Blanks calls them ritualised, slow, and defiant.

“For me that rigour is so interesting and so inspiring and for me — it’s me. It’s me,” Browne said.

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