Thom Browne to discuss business of fashion
Thom Browne is considered one of America’s most successful designers of luxury fashion. His long list of plaudits includes chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, former GQ Designer of the Year and three-time winner of the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award. Credited with reconceptualizing the classic men’s suit, Browne has dressed the likes of LeBron James, Lizzo, Michelle Obama and many other celebrities.
Perhaps a lesser-known fact is that Browne earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame — not in design, but in accountancy.
Browne will discuss his career path and the fashion industry at 5 p.m. April 11 (Tuesday) at the Mendoza College of Business’ Jordan Auditorium. “By Design: Thom Browne on the Business of Fashion” is sponsored by the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study, where he is serving as the 2022-23 artist-in-residence, and the Mendoza College of Business.
The event is free and open to the public. The conversation will be moderated by 1986 graduate Michael Hainey, a writer at large for Air Mail and author of The New York Times bestseller “After Visiting Friends.” A question-and-answer period will follow.
The lecture is a continuation of the conversation that began in the fall, when Browne was part of a public discussion moderated by Hainey that focused on his origin story and emergence as a fashion icon. This semester’s event will focus on the business side of his fashion empire.
“This is an extraordinary occasion for Notre Dame students to understand the modern challenges and opportunities of building a brilliant and innovative business,” said Kristen Collett-Schmitt, associate dean for innovation and inclusion at Mendoza College of Business. “We are thrilled to welcome Thom Browne to the business school once again.”
Browne, who launched his fashion label in 2003, is credited with reimagining the traditional gray-striped business suit into a distinctive style that came to define his brand. His looks include shrunken jackets and trousers, knitted cardigans, kilts, leather brogues and sport socks in a muted palette of gray, white and navy.
He later expanded his portfolio to include full ready-to-wear collections for both men and women. In 2018, Ermenegildo Zegna purchased 85 percent of the company, valuing the brand at $500 million.
In addition to serving as artist-in-residence at Notre Dame, Browne and his work are the subject of a one-credit course, Strong Suits: The Art, Philosophy, and Business of Thom Browne, co-taught by Meghan Sullivan, director of the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study and the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy, and Michael Schreffler, associate dean for the arts and associate professor in the Department of Art, Art History and Design. The course investigates high fashion through an interdisciplinary lens, incorporating discussions of philosophy, designs and business with fashion.
“We look forward to welcoming Thom Browne and Michael Hainey back to campus this spring to build on the conversation they began at Notre Dame in the fall,” said Sullivan. “This discussion will be a wonderful opportunity for students, faculty and the campus community to learn more about the inner workings of Thom Browne’s business and his journey to build an iconic American brand.”
Visit the Notre Dame Institute for Advanced Study for more information about the event.
Originally posted on Mendoza News.
Latest ND NewsWire
- Literacy scholar Ernest Morrell elected to American Academy of Arts and SciencesErnest Morrell, the Coyle Professor of Literacy Education at the University of Notre Dame, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, one of the nation’s oldest learned societies and independent policy research centers. Morrell was one of the 250 members of the newest AAAS class announced today. Other notable names among the group include filmmaker George Clooney, Apple CEO Tim Cook, novelist Jhumpa Lahiri, and Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist and 1993 Notre Dame alumnus Carlos Lozada.
- "Words Fly Through Air"Every day, people use mobile devices to communicate, stream video, check the weather, navigate, play games, and use thousands of other apps. Only in the most recent decades have these technologies become more accessible. Wireless technology also underlies radio astronomy, satellites, television and…
- Startup financing gender gaps greater in societies where women are more empoweredNew research from the University of Notre Dame finds that gender discrimination in startup financing is magnified in societies with greater women’s empowerment.
- European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness to deliver 2024 Barrett Family LectureNotre Dame’s Nanovic Institute for European Studies will welcome European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness to deliver the fourth Barrett Family Lecture on Friday (April 26) at Iveagh House in Dublin. Her lecture, titled “Ireland, the EU and the USA: Navigating the Future Together,” will begin at noon local time.
- There’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to addressing men’s health issues globallyAt a time when health resources are at a premium and need to be wisely allocated, health professionals must find points within men’s lives when it makes the most sense to intervene and advocate for preventive care for promoting better health outcomes. Life transitions such as marriage and fatherhood are often pivotal and crucial intervention points. But just like every man is different, health concerns across global communities differ as well. Research from the University of Notre Dame finds that not all life transitions produce the same health results, and not all men’s global health policies should look the same from one country to another.
- Medicinal chemist Sabine Hadida to deliver Graduate School Commencement addressThe University of Notre Dame Graduate School will hold its annual commencement ceremony at 9 a.m. May 18 (Saturday) at Notre Dame Stadium. Sabine Hadida, a renowned medicinal chemist, will deliver the keynote address. University President Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., will confer the various master’s and doctoral degrees.