WORDS BY ROB NOWILL
Thom Browne’s collections veer toward the weird, wonderful, and unforgettable. His shows aren’t your usual parade of blank-faced models: previous catwalks have included models sporting Frankenstein shoulders, dressed in elephant ears, and painted completely silver. One particularly memorable show had models entering in giant Slinkys. Browne is the Willy Wonka of fashion: often bizarre, never boring. And, above all, impossible to predict.
So when we heard that he had created an exclusive capsule collection for Farfetch, our imagination wandered. Where on earth would he be taking inspiration from? 18th century harpsichords? Japanese rice farms? The films of Gillo Pontecorvo?
As it happens, the collection is inspired by golf. It’s probably the only thing we couldn’t have guessed. Of course, in the hands of Thom Browne, it’s not your usual golfing attire: for one thing, it’s rendered in shades of pale pink, blue, red and navy. Sweaters come with pom-pom embellishments inspired by vintage golf club covers. And Thom Browne women’s footwear is finished with ‘golf-tee’ shaped heels.
In fact, the only thing we could have accurately predicted is that each piece carries the designers signature wit, humour and immaculate sense of proportion. Most predictably of all? We want every piece.