THOM BROWNE

Birds tweeted -- not fashionistas -- the day Chanel brought its couture guests to the calm of the Bois de Boulogne forest.

Looking at the schmoozing guests at the Met Gala cocktail reception, TV host James Corden summed up the scene in a word: “Classy.”.

He is one of America's most successful designers, noted for his suit pants that expose men's ankles, and for creating distinctive looks for Michelle Obama and Cardi B.

According to fashion designer Thom Browne, no one thought it was a good idea when he began his own label in 2001. But today he is one of America's most successful designers, noted for his suit pants that expose men's ankles, and for Michelle Obama's 2013 Inaugural attire. Correspondent Alina Cho visits a Thom Browne fashion show in Paris, and speaks with Vanessa Friedman, chief fashion critic of The New York Times, about why Browne gets such attention.

Thom Browne Fall 2022 - Runway The Thom Browne Fall 2022 collection is modeled during his fashion show at the Javits Center, Friday, April 29, 2022, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) (Charles Sykes)NEW YORK — (AP) — The 500 audience members were sitting in neat rows, and they’d definitely gotten the memo on attire: All were perfectly dressed in a classic gray Thom Browne suit. In this case, Browne was saying, we all have a “toy version” that’s more exaggerated and crazier, but one that’s worth connecting with. “A lifelong search, a lifetime of questions … finally and completely answered.” The “Teddy Talk” was beginning. In the front row was recent Grammy winner Jon Batiste, in a checked Browne suit, and actor-musician Leslie Odom Jr. in a cream-colored shorts ensemble, among others.

Designer Thom Browne launched Met Gala weekend in New York with a hugely inventive fashion show that was one of his most fanciful extravaganzas yet.

NYFW Spring/Summer 2021 - Thom Browne - Backstage Models appear backstage in preparation for the Thom Browne fashion show during New York Fashion Week at The Shed, on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2021, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) (Charles Sykes)When designer Thom Browne left New York Fashion Week four years ago to start showing his label in Paris, it left a hole in the New York calendar. No designer tells stories with his clothes in the same way, creating fashion shows that are more like elaborate theatrical productions. Before the show began, Browne emerged to ask for a moment of silence in remembrance of 9/11. Then, suddenly, colors: tulle creations in hues like pink, red, purple and blue.

Never content to ply his wares on a regular runway, designer Thom Browne has long created theatrical productions instead for his fashion shows, building fantastical worlds peopled by other-worldly creatures.

Doja Cat arrives at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 14, 2021. He was on hand in person but earlier created an Instagram red carpet moment with his daughter since no kids were allowed at the Los Angeles show. “I actually created a step and repeat and a red carpet,” she told reporters during a virtual news conference before the show. AdDue to pandemic precautions, the “red carpet” was not the usual mass of cameras and TV crews. AdAll three wore Gucci.