On Thursday night, the iconic black and white checkerboard floors of Mr. Chow served as the perfect backdrop for a sea of guests dressed in tweed and gray suiting. The intimate dinner party, co-hosted by Thom Browne and Saks Fashion Director Roopal Patel, celebrated Browne’s exclusive women’s capsule collection and its installation in the Saks store, just a few blocks away.
Diane Keaton, Aminé, Janelle Monae, Moses Sumney, Lisa Love, and Manny Jacinto were among the attendees, along with old friends from Browne’s Los Angeles era in the 1990s, including Johnson Hartig (Libertine’s designer) and Saks’ Roopal Patel. “I had the honor to meet Thom in 1999— yes, it’s been that long— when we were both working at Club Monaco and starting our careers in fashion. Yes, the truth comes out!” Patel said in a toast to the evening. “This is a full circle moment for me to see him here this evening. Two American brands coming together for this special moment.”
The dinner marked Browne’s first major Los Angeles event in almost twenty years. “This is Thom’s first homecoming to LA in a very, very long time, so welcome home. It feels like a homecoming,” said Patel. Drawing inspiration from California, the capsule collection offers youthful, downsized varsity jackets, tweed pleated miniskirts, and iconic accessories like the canine-shaped Hector baguette handbag. In the store, Browne designed a secret-garden-themed display reminiscent of his spring 2020 show with columns inspired by 18th-century architecture, seersucker-covered mannequins, and a replica of the central statue from the runway show.
“I think one of the most important moments of this evening is that I singularly wanted to do it because of Roopal. We’ve known each other for almost thirty years.“ reiterated Browne, as plates of Mr. Chow’s favorites like Chicken Satay were being passed. “I want fashion to transcend fashion. I want to create interesting, beautiful things that make people think and see things differently… I think occasionally she’s rolled her eyes, but she’s always understood… I feel like I’ve come home in a way that is really special.”