Thom Browne, Andrew Bolton Collaborate on 20th Anniversary Retrospective Book
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Thom Browne is the ultimate multitasker.
The designer, who recently showed his first couture collection in Paris and serves as the chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, is now turning his attention to the printed page.
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In collaboration with his life partner Andrew Bolton, curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Browne has written a coffee table book to commemorate his brand’s 20th anniversary. The 420-page book, which features 350 color illustrations, will be published in October by Phaidon. Its title is simply “Thom Browne.”
The book will be organized chronologically and will feature archival images, newly commissioned photography by British photographer Johnny Dufort and an introduction by Bolton, who served as creative director of the project. The final chapters of the book will showcase a series of previously unseen images from past runway shows.
According to Phaidon, the text “serves as an entrée into Browne’s world, examining the trajectory of the brand and its iconic design philosophy.”
The book was designed by Irma Boom, an Amsterdam-based graphic designer, and features more than 40 gatefolds. Each page is separated by vellum paper, a nod to traditional photo albums, featuring the brand’s signature four stripes and a grosgrain ribbon.
“Now is the perfect time to showcase all the incredible work that we’ve accomplished over the past 20 years,” Browne said. “Phaidon has been a great partner in helping to share my story and elevate American fashion across such an important medium. When they approached us with this project, I couldn’t think of a better person to tell my story than Andrew. He continues to raise fashion to its highest level on the biggest stage at the Met and throughout the world. Here’s to the next 20 years.”
The book, enclosed in a clamshell box, will retail for $150, and a luxury edition, held in a silver box, will also be available for a price yet to be determined. It is also available now for pre-sale on the Thom Browne and Phaidon sites.
The designer has been working on the book for the past two years, and while its execution took a significant amount of time, he embraced the opportunity to revisit his archives as a way to mark his two-decade anniversary.
Browne launched his brand in 2003 with five men’s gray suits in a made-to-measure shop in New York’s Greenwich Village. Since that time, he has become recognized for redefining modern tailoring with his signature shrunken jacket and pant paired with a gray cardigan, white oxford shirt, gray tie and black brogues. Over the years, he has expanded into women’s and childrenswear, footwear, accessories and fragrance and become known for his conceptual, extravagant runway shows. He won the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year award three times. In 2018, Ermenegildo Zegna Group bought an 85 percent stake in his company.
Launch Gallery: Inside the Thom Browne x Phaidon Announcement
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