Thom Browne presents “teddy talk”, a toy-inspired Autumn Winter 2022 collection

Thom Browne, an American fashion designer, presented the Autumn Winter 2022 show in New York City. It featured sculptural tailoring and 500 teddy bears.

The show took place at New York City’s Javits Center on April 30, and saw the second floor transform into a conceptual “adult toys shop.”

The staging featured a set of large grey painted doors and a “teddytalk”, a pun on TED Talk conferences. This talk was attended by toy bears.

The audience of 500 Thom Browne teddy bears was placed at the center of the space. They were then spread out across a raised platform.

Browne’s show notes stated that the stuffed bears were directed towards a “chairbear,” or model. The show was split into two parts. The first 24 looks were attributed to Browne’s classic tailoring. These are the “adult” versions soon-to be revealed counterparts.

Thom Browne stated that “The chairbear’s favourite New Yorkers first came into the toy shop looking to find their true selves.”

They find them today. The toy shop is filled with adults in classic and playful tweed tailoring. The second half of the show, with its 24 designs, was conceptualized and dramatised as doubles of the first look. It featured surreal, manipulated, and swollen forms.

“The adults find their lost toys and the bears cheer up. The show notes stated that childhood memories are brought back to life in surprising ways – including a spiral of paper dolls and a Rubik’s cube. Also, there is a rocket ready to take-off.”

Browne explained to Vogue that the collection symbolizes New York as “an Island of misfit toys”, where people can find and create their own style.

Models showed off new versions of Browne’s iconic grey suiting throughout the show. This was enhanced with Mogador Jacquard piping and panelling, in collegiate tones like blue, red, green, and gold.

Layered cashmere knits, heritage fabric, and tweed were paired with platform-lace-up boots. The toy-like conceptual characters wore the platform lace-ups with their children’s alphabet block platforms, which spell “Thom Browne”

Browne described another model’s upper body as “a trompe-l’oeil-etch-a-sketch-box coat” that was layered with a flared, striped skirt. This created an appearance akin to a large nutcracker.

American fashion designer Browne is best known for modernizing and reconceptualizing classic suits and tailoring.