It’s not easy to find fantasy in everyday life. Try as one might, sometimes reality is all you have. The challenge feels particularly acute amid the heatwave currently sweeping Europe. There’s little on the mind besides hyperawareness of the sweat droplets dripping down one’s forehead and a desperate longing for air conditioning. Still, even beneath the blazing sun, Thom Browne manages to transport us elsewhere. For Spring/Summer 2027, the American designer went straight to the source of childhood fantasy.
In what marks Browne’s first menswear show in Milan, the designer took a lighthearted approach, infusing the brand’s staples with playful motifs. Flying bees, dripping golden honey, dragonflies, and water lilies appeared embroidered across navy jackets and grey shorts. Nature became both decoration and narrative, transforming familiar tailoring into something a touch more dreamlike.
The theme was literal at times and completely camp at others. The opening look, a striped suit paired with a skirt, was topped with a hat and veil. The closing look echoed the silhouette, this time with the veil swarming with embroidered bees – the same motif seen in two dimensions earlier on a nylon parka.
Drawing from two childhood classics, A Bug’s Life and The Princess and the Frog, Browne rendered structured tailoring whimsical through pastel pinks and soft yellows. Elsewhere, dripped paint across a lightweight jacket created a splashy interpretation of houndstooth. Even at its most playful, however, the collection never abandoned Browne’s precision. The designer’s familiar silhouettes remained intact, merely complemented by moments of wonder.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
