Thom Browne on his theatrical haute couture debut in Paris.

American designer Thom Browne tells the story behind his haute couture debut, which took place in Paris’ storied Palais Garnier.

Thom Browne’s love of theatrics came together in a spectacular way for his first-ever haute couture presentation in Paris, a landmark show which celebrated 20 years of the American designer’s eponymous label.

Browne, the chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America – and featured in the Wallpaper USA 300 – not only presented his inaugural couture collection within the storied opera hall of the Palais Garnier but invited guests to enter through the Opera’s backstage, meandering through its intricate inner workings and internal architecture, before surprisingly seating them on the stage itself, facing a full theatre filled with two-dimensional replicas dressed in Thom Browne uniforms.

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