Illustrated Brand Report Fashion Brand Development AD4606 – Part One Anna Bevilacqua 1702504 Word Count – 1750
Figure 1 - Logo
Figure 2 – Thom Browne himself 1|Page
Contents Brand standing: Facts and Statistics – Page 3 History of the Brand – Page 4-5 Brand Indicators – Page 5-6 Designs and Products – Page 6-8 Brand Consumers – page 8-9 Brand Competitors – Page 10 References – Page 11-12
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Thom Browne’s Current Standing: Facts and Statists Thom is an
Browne
American, New York based fashion designer, and founder and lead designer of his own named brand “Thom Browne.” Thom Browne is a luxury fashion brand, which sits in the luxury sector of the fashion market, and showcases conceptual catwalk collections as well as selling high quality ready to wear collections. Browne designs and predominantly sells luxury menswear; however, he also sells women’s fashion. Beautiful, sleek, tailored suits and all-American styles are key to the brand’s growing success, and a garment that many consumers associate the brand with. According to The New York Times, as of 2016, Browne’s brand brought in a revenue of $100 million, and this figure was set to increase to $120 million in revenue in the following year of 2017. Of this figure, 70% of sales was from menswear and a lower amount of 30% was on women’s wear sales. (V Friedman for The New York Times.com 2017) Thom Browne’s collections are available to buy from his own stores in New York, Tokyo and Hong Kong, and from luxury designer stores around the world. These include: Dover Street Market in London, Selfridges and Colette and Le Bon Marche in Paris. From the sales around the world, 30% of sales occur in America, 40% of sales occur in Europe and 30% in Asia. (V Friedman for The New York Times.com 2017) Thom Browne is a world-renowned luxury brand, and due to this, Browne has been awarded the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award in 2016, 2013 and 2006, the GQ Designer of the Year Award in 2008, and The Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in 2012. (Thom Browne.com)
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Figure 3 – Browne with clothing rail
The History of the Brand
Born in 1965 in in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Browne grew up in a Catholic family and attended a Public Catholic School up until University level. Browne attended The Catholic Notre Dame University in Indiana where he studied economics and swam competitively in a swim team. (J Iredale for WWD.com 2015) In 1997, Browne moved to New York, where he began working as a Giorgio Armani salesman. From there, he was taken on by Club Monaco which was owned by Polo Ralph Lauren. Due to his great, increasing interest in fashion and his skills as a salesman, he was asked to join the Club Monaco design and merchandising team. This not only allowed Browne to gain practical design and making skills, but allowed him great exposure to the inside of the fashion industry, thus gaining him industry, cliental and business awareness. After several years working with Club Monaco, in 2001 Browne left the company to set up his own fashion business, which would be named after himself. In the early stages, Browne specialised in men’s suits, however, as he didn’t have the funds to manufacture a whole collection, he initially just made five suits for himself, which he would wear out in order to promote his clothing and brand. In 2003, Browne opened his first store in New York, which was a made to measure store, working on an appointment basis. This was shortly followed by a showing at New York fashion week in 2004, which projected his brand into the fashion market. From there, his brand began to grow. (Business of Fashion.com 2018)
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Figure 4 – Hong Kong store
Since setting up his own business and stores in 2003, Browne likes to be in ultimate control of everything that happens in the brand. In an interview with The New York Times, Browne stated that he sees all of his 130 staff as his children and that he likes to be seen and thought of as the father figure of his company. All of his staff have to dress within brand when they go to work, so they all look smart and uniformed, and inflexibility is one of the key aspects of his design and leadership strategy. His stores are very grey and minimalistic, which fits with his brand narrative and aesthetic, and he has cold marble floors and white blinds in his office. Browne has stated that he “doesn’t like a lot of stuff or having much of a choice” which is a reason for the simplistic space. Browne’s blinds may act as a symbol of privacy for the company, thus heightening Browne’s control of his brand for what people can and can’t see inside. When designing, Browne doesn’t use mood or fabric boards, and uses conceptual sketches consisting of controlled lines and circles that staff interpret before the manufacturing process begins. (Thom Browne interview for the New York Times 2015 on YouTube.com)
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Brand Indicators Figure 5 – Browne sketch The Thom Browne brand aesthetic that is recognisable to consumers is uniformity, with uniformed lines and garments being key to the brand, grey, as a range of grey colours with a splash of red and blue to honour his American culture is seen throughout all aspects of his brand, and sleek, sophisticated and cool imagery that is associated with the brand. However, the adjective ‘cool’, used in Browne’s brand context doesn’t represent edgy or rough, but instead Thom’s brand has an emotionless and controlled aesthetic in terms of how it is perceived as ‘cool.’ The brand indicators also include: all garments having a red, white and blue striped tag on them to perhaps symbolise the New York all American feel to his clothing, and many garments have a four-block stripe printed pattern on the sleeves. The clothing tags are simplistic, with the tag just being white with “Thom Browne New York” written on them in a thin, Ariel style font.
Figure 6 – Browne’s office Figure 7 – Browne label
Key Designs
and Products
Thom Browne is for designing
predominantly known sleek, sophisticated,
Figure 8 – Brogue shoes with Browne label
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tailored suits for men. Notable design features for these suits which makes him unique in his tailoring are: longer length, slim ties that are worn tucked into the waist band of the trousers, two buttoned blazers that only have the top button fastened, and ankle length, cigarette trousers that are worn without socks. Other menswear pieces include: heavy, Brogue shoes, bow ties, school boy shorts, knitted cardigans, shirts and jackets. Seer sucker, cotton, tweed, and knitted fabrics and mostly used for the menswear. Browne’s suits take inspiration from 1940’s and 50’s Public School boy fashion, in particular the smart uniforms worn by both males and females. His suits for both men and women and very uniformed and modest, and somewhat dull in their colour, so not only does this take inspiration from school uniform, but also links to Browne’s Catholic upbringing. This is because modest dressing in suits, ties and knee length skirts for women was the traditional dress for Mass. Throughout his collections, Catholic traditions bubble up. Browne has said that “I still love being Catholic. I love religion being used as a reference.” (Browne 2015 for WWD.com) Browne also takes inspiration from his father and the way he used to dress when Browne was growing up. His father would wear a suit every day that was bought from the Brooks Brothers. (J Heilpern for Vanity Fair.com 2015) The 1939 film Goodbye, Mr. Chips is also an inspiration for Browne’s garments. It is sometimes perceived as slightly strange or obsessive how much Browne references his childhood in his garments, however, this childlike and uniformed identification is key to the brand narrative and aesthetic, and is what makes the brand recognisable and unique amongst the range of alternative luxury fashion brands.
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Figure 10 – 1950’s school uniform
Figure 11 – Browne Catwalk
Figure 12 – Browne women’s suits
Browne also sells womenswear, which is a fairly new addition to the company, as his womenswear line was introduced in 2011, with a showing at New York Fashion Week. Garments in the ready to wear collections for women include: blazers which are sometimes embraided with flowers, pleated skirts, dresses and trousers. These garments also follow the grey, uniformed aesthetic as the menswear, and also include the red, white and blue tag as a brand indicator. Both men and women’s wear are expensive due to the quality of the products, and as an example: prices for women’s jackets range from £765 - £8,320, and prices for men’s range from £810 - £3,070. Browne also sells an extension range of wallets, purses, scarves, hats and shoes. Browne also shows conceptual catwalk collections, and for his Spring/Summer 2018 ready to wear menswear collection, a genderless catwalk was shown, with men wearing skirts and 8|Page
dresses, styled with heels and blazers. This same idea was carried through in his F/W collection, at Paris Fashion Week. For his Spring 2018 collection, an alternative style universe was created, with bright colours being used rather than the toned-down colour scheme. However, the original Browne designs of suits and ties are still visible throughout both catwalk shows, which may express Browne’s inner struggle, as he wants to express himself with colour and print, however still feels restricted with his catholic upbringing and childhood.
Figure 14 – Spring 18 menswear Figure 13 – Spring 18 ready to wear catwalk catwalk
Brand Consumers The specific consumers for Thom Browne’s brand are: sleek, city workers, living in New York, London, Paris and other large, cultured cities. Men and Women purchase from the brand; however, it is prominently men aged 25-50, whom will be buying suits for work or casual clothing for everyday wear. The men and women buying the brand will be highly educated, professional and have a high paying, highly qualified job. For example: a business person, lawyer, or an accountant. They will have a high income to be able to afford the high prices of Browne’s garments, and they will want to look smart, sleek and comfortable whether they are going to work or dressing casually. They may own an expensive car like an Aston Martin, BMW, Audi or a Mercedes – Benz and may be married with children. In 2013, Browne dressed Michelle Obama for the Inauguration at St John’s Church in Washington a long coat and dress. However, Browne also dresses trendy, street wise celebrities. In 2016, Rap star Wiz Khalifa won Best Dressed Man at The Golden Globes wearing a Browne suit, and Kevin Hart is often seen wearing Thom Browne garments to events and casually. Eddie Redmayne has also been seen wearing Browne garments. Redmayne is a perfect embodiment of everything the brand is about, as he has a very charming, preppy, and traditional look about him; elements that the brand represents. 9|Page
The way Browne dresses celebrities help to keep the brand current and noticed in the luxury fashion market, and moves the brand away from just being a uniformed, suit tailoring company for city workers. In the brand’s current context, as of 2018, Browne has stated that he will dress Melania Trump, however, this has caused controversy, as many designers will not design for her, due to the policies Donald Trump represents.
17 – Michelle Figure 15 – KevinFigure Hart wearing BrowneObama wearing Browne coat tracksuit
Brand Competitors Thom Browne’s competitors in fashion sector and Victoria Tom Rebl is a designer, his first collection designs and that has an street and making the brand different to Thom However, this competitor as the crosses the line
Figure 16 – Khalifa wearing Browne suit
Figure 19 – Eddie Redmayne main the luxury are: Tom Rebl Beckham. new luxury bringing out in 2015. Rebl menswear womenswear element of grunge to it, aesthetic Browne. brand is a clothing between 10 | P a g e
masculinity and femininity, something that Thom Browne is moving into with his recent catwalks. Also, both brand’s garments are made to a very high quality and sell at a similar price point. Former pop sensation Victoria Beckham’s luxury fashion brand is a womenswear brand that sells sleek, modern and easy garments that are worn by the modern, glamorous, working women. Her brand sells dresses, trousers, tops, jackets, shoes, sunglasses and handbags, amongst others, and is very American and smart in it’s aesthetic, creating a similarity between her brand and Thom Browne. The price point is high for both as the products are of a high quality, however, the target market for the brands are different.
Figure 18 – Victoria Beckham’s 2016 Cruise Collection
References
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“Is Thom Browne the most underestimated designer in New York?” – Vanessa Friedman, June 2017 for The New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/fashion/thom-browne-the-most-underestimateddesigner-in-new-york.html Thom Browne official website - https://www.thombrowne.com/uk/ “Thom Browne biography” – Business of Fashion.com 2018 https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/thom-browne “Thom Browne Prefers to Be Seen, Not Heard” – Jessica Iredale, September 2015 for WWD.com http://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/thom-browne-prefers-to-be-seen-not-heard-10211941/ “Thom Browne In the Studio Interview” – The New York Times on YouTube.com, September 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFkM5NgTBRU “Being Thom Browne: His Moment is Now” – Guy Trebay, February 2013 for The New York Times.com http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/fashion/the-designer-thom-browne-is-in-his-moment.html “Designer Thom Browne Explains the Virtues of Imperfection” – John Heilpern, August 2015 for Vanity Fair.com - https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2015/08/thom-browne-style-suits “Thom Browne Spring 2018 Menswear catwalk” – Luke Leitch, June 2017 – for Vogue.com https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2018-menswear/thom-browne “Thom Browne Spring 2018 Ready to Wear catwalk – Chioma Nnadi, October 2017 for Vogue.com https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2018-ready-to-wear/thom-browne “Michelle Obama Wears Thom Browne to Inauguration” – Hilary Moss, January 2013 for The Cut.com https://www.thecut.com/2013/01/michelle-obama-wears-thom-browne-to-inauguration.html “Rapper Wiz Khalifa Is the Best-Dressed Man at the Globes” – Marjon Carlos, January 2016 for Vogue.com https://www.vogue.com/article/wiz-khalifa-2016-golden-globes-thom-browne Kevin Hart’s Browne outfits - http://www.upscalehype.com/?s=kevin+hart+thom+browne Victoria Beckham Website - https://www.victoriabeckham.com/ Tom Rebl website - http://www.tomrebl.com/
Image references Figure 1 – Thom Browne Logo - https://ocoglasses.co.uk/products/thom-browne-tb-006-b
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Figure 2 – Thom Browne himself - https://www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/thom-browne-master-class Figure 3 – Browne with clothing rail - http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/entertainmentgeneral/index.ssf/2013/03/fashion_designer_thom_browne_a.html Figure 4 – Thom Browne Hong Kong Store - https://hk.asiatatler.com/style/style-radar-thom-browne-s-hongkong-debut Figure 5 – Browne’s sketches - https://nelissahilman.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/sketches-by-thom-browne/ Figure 6 – Browne’s office - http://www.retaildesignworld.com/562f5c0392ace-vmchoice/article/5620ebffb896f-vm-choice-thom-brownes-sale-days-at-paris-pop-up Figure 7 – Browne clothing label - https://www.whatdropsnow.com/products/thom-browne-ripstop-jacketnavy Figure 8 – Brogue shoes with Browne label - https://hypebeast.com/2010/9/thom-browne-brogue-shoe Figure 9 – Thom Browne cardigan showing the brand label, colours and stripe print http://fashionspam.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/thom-browne-or-how-to-build-instantly.html Figure 10 – 1950’s school uniform - https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/165436986287933306/?lp=true Figure 11 – Thom Browne catwalk suit - https://www.cntrbndshop.com/collections/thom-browne Figure 12 – Women’s suits – http://www.6am-mall.com/brands/thom-browne Figure 13 – Spring 2018 catwalk - https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2018-ready-to-wear/thombrowne/slideshow/collection#27 Figure 14 – Spring 2018 menswear catwalk - https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2018menswear/thom-browne/slideshow/collection#24 Figure 15 – Kevin Hart wearing Browne tracksuit - http://www.upscalehype.com/?s=kevin+hart+thom+browne Figure 16 – Khalifa wearing Browne suit - https://www.vogue.com/article/wiz-khalifa-2016-golden-globesthom-browne Figure 17 – Michelle Obama wearing Browne coat - https://www.thecut.com/2013/01/michelle-obama-wearsthom-browne-to-inauguration/slideshow/2013/01/21/obama_photos/michelle-obama-inauguration-full/ Figure 18 – Victoria Beckham’s 2016 Cruise Collection - http://www.operandimoda.com/victoria-beckhamcruise-2016-collection/ Figure 19 – Eddie Redmayne - http://www.malefashiontrends.com/2013/07/Eddie-Redmaye-Giffoni-FilmFestival-Thom-Browne-Oxford-Shirt-Signature-Placket.html
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