Thom Browne Hops on the Couture Train

Officially venturing into couture for the first time wasn't too much of a leap for Thom Browne, who for all intents and purposes already does couture. There were no doubts he'd be able to hold his own. Still, the designer made the most of his first slot on the Paris haute couture calendar with a collection that elevates the signatures of his 20-year-old brand — especially that unmistakable grey suit.

Per the show notes, "elements of classic american sportswear filtered through the lens of couture. for one night only." (The brand's marketing materials are famously always devoid of uppercase letters.)

The show took place Monday on stage at the Palais Garnier, with 2,000 grey-suit-clad cardboard cutouts filling the audience. (Human guests sat on either side of the stage itself.) Thom Browne shows always tell a story; this one took place at a train station, as evidenced by train sounds, a large striped bell hanging overhead, prop pigeons and a passenger: the grey-suited Alek Wek, who began the show by sitting in the middle of the stage atop a pile of chic matching luggage. The rest of the models walked slowly around her as the show went on and the "bell" "chimed," signaling the passage of time.

Pigeons (known to inhabit train stations) also feature prominently in the collection itself — sometimes more literally, via bird-shaped headpieces, and otherwise more broadly, via gradient grey-and-white looks that recall most pigeons' natural coloring and footwear that vaguely recalls their feet. A bell motif is also seen throughout, in eye-blocking cloche hats and gilded adornments on the backs of some of those very precarious platform shoes.

The show included plenty of other show-stopping headwear as well, including a mohawk-like, train-shaped hat and an enormously tall, partially deconstructed train conductor cap. The off-kilter grey wigs several models wore also feel like they fall into this category.

Speaking of accessories, bags — from suitcases to purses (not all of them dog-shaped) — were also a focal point of the show; it's a more commercial styling decision than is often seen in couture. Of course, couture-level artistry is still everywhere in the collection, even on the more simple tailoring pieces, via trompe l'oeil techniques, whimsical intarsias, intricately woven knits and rich embroideries. Much of the latter depicts beautiful aquatic imagery — marine life, lighthouses, rope. (Perhaps our passenger is headed somewhere less grey and more tropical?)

For formalwear, there are a smattering of extravagant-yet-covered-up gowns designed to look like a dress, coat and cape all layered together. To close out the show, the couture bride (Grace Elizabeth) came out in a white, gauze-y, glittering, leg-baring suit dress with a very long train (get it?). It's what Wek had been waiting for: With two porters carrying her luggage, she waved goodbye and set off on her journey.

See every look from Thom Browne's debut Fall 2023 Couture collection below.

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