Browns (fashion boutique)
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Browns
| logo =
| type = Private
| genre = Department Store
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1970}}
| founder = Joan & Sidney Burstein
| location_city = London
| location_country = England
| location =
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| area_served =
| industry = Retail
| products =
| services =
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| parent = Farfetch
| divisions =
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| homepage = {{URL|brownsfashion.com}}
| dissolved =
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}}
Browns is a London, England-based fashion boutique founded by Joan Burstein and husband Sidney in 1970. The flagship store was previously located on South Molton Street before moving to Brook Street in May 2021. In 2015, Browns was acquired by the Portuguese online fashion company Farfetch.
History
Joan Burstein founded Browns with her late husband, Sidney, in 1970.{{cite news|last1=Clark|first1=Andrew|title=Farfetch has an eye for talent and buys Browns fashion boutique|url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/uk-travel/farfetch-has-an-eye-for-talent-and-buys-browns-fashion-boutique-dlj0krqwv6k|access-date=13 May 2015|work=The Times|date=13 May 2015}} Initially a small boutique housed on the ground floor at 27 South Molton Street, Browns grew rapidly expanding through five connecting Georgian townhouses. Their daughter Caroline Burstein founded Molton Brown before joining Browns as creative director in 1993. Their son Simon Burstein became CEO.{{cite web|title=Caroline Burstein|url=https://showstudio.com/contributor/caroline_burstein|website=showstudio.com|publisher=SHOWstudio|accessdate=13 May 2015}}
Known for discovering talents such as John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan, and Christopher Kane,{{cite web|title=In Conversation with Mrs Joan Burstein CBE|url=http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/3785/in-conversation-with-mrs-joan-burstein-cbe-5317/|website=vam.ac.uk|publisher=Victoria & Albert Museum|accessdate=13 May 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518072043/http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/3785/in-conversation-with-mrs-joan-burstein-cbe-5317/|archive-date=2015-05-18|url-status=dead}} it also brought designers such as Calvin Klein, Sabine G., Armani, Ralph Lauren and Jil Sander to London.{{cite news|last1=Grant|first1=Linda|title=Three Cheers for Mrs B|url=http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG3357818/Three-cheers-for-Mrs-B.html|accessdate=13 May 2015|publisher=Daily Telegraph|date=26 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518094622/http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG3357818/Three-cheers-for-Mrs-B.html|archive-date=2015-05-18|url-status=dead}} Browns has continued to support both young and established fashion designers.{{cite news|title=Joan Burstein|url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/person/joan-burstein|accessdate=13 May 2015|publisher=Vogue|date=March 2015}}
In 2006, Joan Burstein (known in the fashion industry as Mrs B) received a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to fashion. Sidney Burstein died in April 2010.{{cite news|last1=Jones|first1=Dolly|title=Mr Burstein remembered|url=http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2010/04/09/sidney-burstein-founder-or-browns-has-died|accessdate=13 May 2015|publisher=Vogue|date=9 April 2010}}
In May 2015, Browns passed from family ownership when it was acquired by the fashion website Farfetch.{{cite news|last1=Hounslea|first1=Tara|title=Farfetch acquires London boutique Browns|url=https://www.drapersonline.com/news/farfetch-acquires-london-boutique-browns|accessdate=13 May 2015|publisher=Drapers|date=12 May 2015}} Joan Burstein stayed on as honorary chair and her son and daughter Simon and Caroline retained seats on the board.{{cite news|last1=Binkley|first1=Christina|title=Online Retailer Farfetch Buys London's Browns Fashion Boutique|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/online-retailer-farfetch-buys-londons-browns-fashion-boutique-1431450911|accessdate=13 May 2015|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=12 May 2015}}
Stores
Browns is located at 39 Brook Street but from 1970-2020 was located at 23-27 South Molton Street.{{Cite web |date=2019-06-04 |title=Browns Is Closing Its Iconic South Molton Street Store & Moving Further Into Mayfair |url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/browns-new-store-brook-street |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=British Vogue |language=en-GB}} Browns also operated Browns East at 21 Club Row in East London which operated from October 2017 before closing September 2022.{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Huw |date=2022-09-29 |title=Browns closes Shoreditch store to focus on West End flagship |url=https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/browns-closes-shoreditch-store-to-focus-on-west-end-flagship/2022092965431 |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=FashionUnited |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Hendriksz |first=Vivian |date=2017-10-20 |title=Browns opens Browns East, its first new store in 20 years, in Shoreditch |url=https://fashionunited.uk/news/retail/browns-opens-browns-east-its-first-new-store-in-20-years-in-shoreditch/2017101926382 |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=FashionUnited |language=en}} They also operated a store at 160 Sloane Street from 2012 to 2017 they previously operated at 6C Sloane Street from 1976 till the move to 160.{{Cite web |date=2012-07-17 |title=Browns' New Boutique |url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/browns-opens-new-store-on-sloane-street |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=British Vogue |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |title=History - Brownsfashion.co.uk |url=https://www.brownsfashion.com/uk/history}} Browns Focus was located at Number 24 South Molton Street and opened in 1997 but closed when the store moved.{{Cite web |last=Bottomley |first=Tom |date=2022-06-16 |title=Browns Focus ‘Series Two’ launches to shine a light on new global talent |url=https://www.theindustry.fashion/browns-focus-series-two-launches-to-shine-a-light-on-new-global-talent/ |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=TheIndustry.fashion |language=en-GB}}
Browns has had two pop-up shops in Los Angeles and Berlin. Browns store in Los Angeles was located at the Fred Segal flagship on Sunset Boulevard and operated for eight weeks in 2018.{{Cite web |last=Browns |title=Fred Segal Loves Browns |url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fred-segal-loves-browns-300704896.html |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=www.prnewswire.com |language=en}} Browns took over an abandoned supermarket in the Mitte borough of Berlin for three days in November 2019.{{Cite web |last=Dazed |date=2019-11-14 |title=An abandoned Berlin supermarket is turning into a high concept store |url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/46820/1/browns-nomad-iamddb-berlin-supermarket-mitte-district-2019 |access-date=2023-09-13 |website=Dazed |language=en}}
Caroline Burstein started Browns Bride in 2004 which is located at 12 Hinde Street.
References
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External links
- [http://www.brownsfashion.com/ Official website]
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Category:Buildings and structures in the City of Westminster