200 years of Brooks Brothers
Last night in Florence, Brooks Brothers celebrated its 200 year anniversary, in the first of many events over the next 12 months.
Held in the famous Salone dei Cinquecento at Palazzo Vecchio, a catwalk show took place on a runway designed in the brand’s signature colours of navy and gold. The looks were modern variations on the classic style of the label; a visual demonstration of how relevant clothes from 100 years ago are today.
Suits were sleek and sophisticated, with jackets rakishly tucked into trousers for a number of looks. Outerwear, a key category for the brand, is more technical than ever before, but there were also nods to classics with the introduction of a camel polo coat and a never out of fashion navy blue blazer. Brooks Brothers have also been a collegiate, preppy brand and the show was testament to how well that look has played out over the years.
While perhaps best known today as a “classic” brand, it is important to note that the brand’s founder, Henry Sands Brooks (1772 – 1833), was no traditionalist at all. He was actually a dandy and an influencer among his peers; always on the lookout for the newest and most novel styles for his emporium in lower Manhattan selling “every new style of cloth, of the finest quality, made to order in the best and most fashionable mode.” It is ironic that so many classic items were the result of invention and innovation.
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