Strong Suits: The Art, Philosophy and Business of Thom Browne

(1 Credit Hour) · Undergraduate

This is a one-credit pop-up seminar for students in the College of Arts and Letters and Mendoza College of Business. Admission to the course will be based on a competitive application. We seek a small cohort of students who are interested in a deep interdisciplinary study of a major luxury brand: Thom Browne. Attendance at some evening events will be required, corresponding to campus events with Browne. Over six seminar sessions, we will speak with experts from different aspects of the enterprise. Potential topics include: - Craft: The history of suiting, how suits are designed and manufactured, and what differentiates mass market, high-end, and haute couture suiting. - "Reading" haute couture fashion and understanding innovation in haute couture. - Gender, capitalism, and the office "uniform" - philosophical questions raised by Thom Browne's suits. - The business strategy of artist-owned luxury brands. - Fashion writing and criticism, and the role it plays in shaping popular culture. - Dressing athletes - the connection between sports, fashion, and American ideals. Students will be expected to work through a collection of readings and media on Thom Browne's design to familiarize themselves with the work and key questions before the seminar. Work will involve preparation for discussions with experts during each of the seminar sessions, culminating in a visit with Thom Browne to the course. Students will also write a short critical, creative, or appreciative piece on some aspect of luxury fashion using a concept learned in the seminar.