Despite Browne’s typically iconoclastic approach to the codes of sartorial categories—the trademark shrunken fits of his tailoring, say, or the dramatic, deconstructed shapes of his couture collections—for his collaboration with Baccarat, he decided to place more subtle twists on some of the house’s classic pieces. First and foremost was the Yacht glass, created in 1925 by Georges Chevalier for the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris (and particularly beloved by Edward VIII, the Prince of Wales), to which Browne added his signature four-bar motif etched into the glass. “I really wanted to compliment what Baccarat does so well,” says Browne. “Taking classic shapes—some from their archive and some not—and adding my touch in the most subtle way.”
Photo: Emma Louise Swanson
Elsewhere, you’ll find everything from wine glasses to tumblers to whiskey carafes, all gently updated with the Thom Browne stripes. As for why he took a more low-key approach to finding a synergy between the worlds of Browne and Baccarat: “I hope that people see my designs as a representation of classic American sensibilities, combined subtly with the French craftsmanship Baccarat is known for,” he says. (For anyone entertaining this holiday season, it’s also worth getting your hands on one of the new candles Browne has produced in crystal holders manufactured by Baccarat, which combine the smoky, masculine aroma of vetiver with more delicate Gallic scents like rose and grapefruit.)