As part of the acceleration of his business, powered by Zegna Group, Thom Browne‘s approach to footwear has expanded from men’s wear classics and runway props to a full wardrobe of seasonal offerings that got him in the sneaker game.
“I want it to be a slow steady growth, which is exactly what it has been,” he said during a recent interview in L.A., where he launched an exclusive women’s capsule at Saks Beverly Hills. “It’s the type of thing where people need to see it to understand it and appreciate it.”
Browne started his apparel collection in 2003 with five men’s suits, and his first shoes were brogues, a personal — and sentimental choice.
“I’ve always worn them, my father always wore them, it really started because I have image of my father stepping out of a plane and the shoe was in focus, and the rest was not in focus. And it’s an old wingtip,” he said of his perennial inspiration.
When he added women’s wear in 2013, he carried over the wingtips, often with vertiginous heels. “Really, every collection for me is head-to-toe,” he explained of his approach, which includes whimsical but maybe not wearable shoes to match his runway collections.
“I’m not delusional and thinking everyone’s gonna buy it like that, but everything from the hat the model has on — down to the shoe — is thought out from the beginning. Because I think it’s important that when you come to my store, or if you see the collection in another store, you see a connection between all of it, as opposed to just items. I’m not an items designer, I’m a collection designer..I mean, ideally, if you want to really buy Thom Browne, you can buy it from head to toe and it is exactly the way I thought it out. But it also looks good if you want to take it apart.”
Over the past few years, there has been a more commercial offering, with dozens of additional silhouettes, including flat loafers, ballerinas, sling backs, mules, slides and ankle booties in leather, velvet, tweed, with ribbon and button details, that can be part of the TB total look or worn on their own.
In 2015, he introduced his first sneakers — classic canvas styles. “It started as ‘Thom we have to do sneakers.’ It wasn’t my thing, but I thought like, okay, well, if I’m gonna do sneaker, it’s going to be exactly the sneaker that I want to do. It’s not like we sell hundreds of thousands of sneakers, but it really is perfect for my collection.”
One of the top sellers now is the Alumni, a runner designed for everyday, available in canvas or suede for men and women at around $750.
Browne is working on more atmospheric still life imagery of his accessories, too. To wit, he shot a still life of the sneaker on the snowy set of his Edgar Allen Poe inspired fall 2024 runway show at New York Fashion Week. For fall, there are also tweedy pumps with a chunky heel, and an expanded bag offering, including the Bermuda bag with tortoise handle and removable covers.
“You invest in it one time and then every season you spend less than a tote bag on a new cover,” said Browne of the bag which also has a shoulder strap. “It’s a really great bag.”
