EXCLUSIVE: Thom Browne Redesigns Baccarat Archive Pieces
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Just about every evening at 6 p.m., Thom Browne has a glass of Champagne in a crystal Baccarat whiskey glass from his personal collection. Adorned with rare treasures like a John Singer Sargent painting and 18th-century English painted settees, the red brick, Manhattan town home he shares with his life partner, the museum curator Andrew Bolton, sets the perfect Georgian setting for cocktail hour.
Speaking from another aristocratic setting and under the chandelier-studded, vaulted ceilings of Palazzo Serbelloni in Milan, Browne told WWD that his brand and the Lorraine, France-based crystal maker on Monday will unveil a collection that includes coupes, wine glasses, tumblers and a whiskey carafe.
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The collection will be launched on Thom Browne’s global e-commerce and digital channels.
The starting point for the collection was a 1925 yacht glass that Baccarat designer Georges Chevalier envisaged for the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. Characterized by its sturdy square base, the yacht glass gained popularity for decades to come among various influential figures, notably King Charles III, formerly the Prince of Wales, who chose it to adorn the table of his yacht.
“We didn’t go into it saying we want to get into the crystal business. We want to make a beautiful collection that can live on and is timelessly designed. We want this to live forever and be in our stores forever,” Browne said, pointing to the nautical-spirited lines and Ionic column base of the glass that kept it from tumbling over while at sea.
The collection, he explained, is like a private glimpse into his everyday life, expressing his affection for summers in Newport, R.I., and affinity for storied chapters in American history — from the Gilded to the Golden Age.
The designer, who this year launched a couture collection and also serves as the chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, recently celebrated his brand’s 20th anniversary.
In collaboration with Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Browne wrote a coffee-table book to commemorate his brand’s 20th anniversary. The 420-page book titled simply “Thom Browne” features 350 color illustrations and was published in October by Phaidon.
When asked if he’s ready to branch out into other categories, the designer said he’s focused on personalized collections with the best companies.
“It [venturing into something new] really comes down to what I use myself. It’s never forced, when it comes to a new business,” he said, referring to the decision he made to venture into the world of kids’ clothing. “It was very easy because I approached it as the same way I do my adult collections and also because everyone was having kids at the time,” he said, laughing.
The Thom Browne and Baccarat collection will be available exclusively through thombrowne.com and select Thom Browne global retail stores; including 100 Hudson Street in New York, and 3 Albemarle Street in London.
When asked who the testimonial might be? Browne responded with a grin, “Me!”
