Designer Thom Browne Talks New Collaboration with the Rug Company

Tom Browne is a master of time-honored with a twist.

Repp Stripe rug, 100-knot wool and silk, 6 feet by 4 feet for $4,632, by Thom Browne for The Rug Company at therugcompany.com

“The process was similar [to clothing] in that it started with a classic idea that was then interpreted in a way people had not seen before,” says the American fashion designer of his newly debuted rug collection, Tom Browne for the Rug Company. Known for his theatrically tailored mens and womenswear and shrunken silhouettes, the two-time recipient of the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award applies his sartorial stylings to three trademark looks for the brand. “When I approach any collaboration, I want the result to be true to what I do in my own collections,” says Browne. “You see this in the classic references of cable knitwear and Repp Stripe fabrics.” Browne’s signature red, white and blue stripes punctuate the border of the Repp Stripe rug, while the gray of the Cable Knit rug has been precisely matched to the exact shade of his iconic garments. And while they’re not exactly twists... ring on a traditional knit pattern, the Cable Knit design employs inverse carving into the pile of the rug developed by the Rug Company’s weavers in Nepal.