Thom Browne Goes for the Gold

Dhani Mau

24 June 2024 at 5:21 pm·5-min read

It's a wild time to be in Paris right now, with Men's Fashion Week going into Fête de la Musique going into the massive celeb-filled spectacle that was Vogue World going into Haute Couture Fashion Week. It's also the height of tourist season, and the sun doesn't begin setting until 10 p.m.

Perhaps most notably, though, there are the forthcoming 2024 Summer Olympics, which are just one month away and loom large over the city (literally — the Olympic rings now adorn the Eiffel Tower). It's only natural that designers showing in the French capital would be inspired by Paris 2024 — including Americans like Thom Browne, who debuted his namesake brand's second-ever proper couture collection on Monday.

In lieu of the nontraditional, theatre-like staging it has been known to prefer, the New York-based label sent its Fall 2024 Haute Couture collection down a simple, conventional white runway within the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. The looks were crafted primarily out of un-dyed muslin, which, combined with the pared-back stage, made the show feel like a quiet reprieve from the chaos outside. (Hordes of tourists literally surrounded the venue, which is right next to the Louvre.)

<p>Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight</p> — Photo: Launchmetrics Spotlight

That said, Browne still brought the drama: As guests took their seats, a "team" of male models were already positioned on the runway, holding a long rope as if preparing for a very chic game of tug of war — which did in fact occur, briefly, before a mistress of ceremonies appeared wearing a fantastical gold headpiece, surely inspired by the wreaths worn by ancient Olympians. Once the rope-tuggers made their exit, models emerged, slowly, with short, sculptural hairdos reminiscent of those seen in ancient Greek art, accompanied by an increasingly intense soundtrack that transitioned from opera to techno as the show went on.

While the Olympic theme was clear, it wasn't too on-the-nose, as none of the clothes are particularly athletic. (Adidas' lawyers would've lost their minds.) Instead, Browne and his team created a range of what look like masterpieces-in-progress from muslin, a weaved cotton fabric typically used for pattern-making. (Also of note: Guests were encouraged to wear their invitations — muslin jackets cut like those worn by professional couturiers — to the show, creating a uniquely immersive environment.)

The use of this natural material — paired with details like unfinished hems, half-sewn sleeves, exposed boning, sporadic swatches of color and partial embroidery — give the collection a sense of being unfinished. That said, there's nothing about this collection that feels incomplete: These elements read as deeply intentional, and there's no doubt that Browne and his team obsessed over every last detail before sending each masterful look out.

Closing out the show were three models wearing bronze, silver and gold blazers in succession, representing the respective Olympic medals. They even took their final walk to the iconic Olympic theme.

The whole production successfully transported viewers to an array of places and time periods: ancient Greece, the inside of a couture atelier and — at least for me — my Los Angeles living room, where I look forward to watching the games from the comfort of my couch, far from the chaos soon to envelop Paris.

See every look from Thom Browne's Haute Couture Fall 2024 collection below.