Brooks Bros. is adding a designer dimension to its assortment, WWD has learned.
Thom Browne, winner of this year’s CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year award, will create a capsule collection for fall 2007 of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear and accessories that will be produced and marketed by Brooks Bros. and sold in all its flagships and most other units in America and abroad. Browne’s line will do several seasons, possibly four or more, in what Brooks Bros. describes as a new creative concept for the brand — a laboratory for guest designers. His first collection is expected to have about 50 pieces.
“This will be a new Brooks Bros. label and we will find a way to segregate the collection in our stores,” said Claudio Del Vecchio, chairman and chief executive officer of Brooks Bros., during an interview Thursday just after the opening party for Brooks Bros.’ new London flagship.
“At this point, we are not envisioning putting his name on the clothes,” Del Vecchio said. “We are not changing what we do. We are adding a dimension that will be higher-priced than what we have today, more hand-made, and available in smaller quantities. It will be a real designer business.”
Del Vecchio also cited the possibility of staging trunk shows, particularly at stores where the collections might be available for a limited time.
Del Vecchio recalled that last spring, “Anna Wintour suggested I see Thom Browne’s show [for fall] so I went and loved what I saw. I got to know him and we seriously got motivated to find a way to work together. He showed great appreciation for our brand. He’s been inspired by Brooks Bros.”
But he’ll also give Browne creative license. “We think he should have the freedom,” Del Vecchio said. “We are committed to letting him be Thom Browne,” though Del Vecchio added, “Thom does embrace very much the spirit of the brand.”
Del Vecchio said Brooks Bros. was not committed to a fixed number of collections with Browne. The designer will show his men’s collection Saturday during New York Fashion Week. His collection sells at 16 specialty retailers around the world and at his appointment-only store in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.
Del Vecchio sees the laboratory concept as an opportunity to start relationships with other young designers as well. Currently, virtually all Brooks Bros. products are under the brand’s label, aside from some cobranding in accessories.
