For A/W '10 Thom Browne fondly glances back to the golden age of New York and collegiate life but brings it right back in to the modern day as he plays with proportions, prints and mixing tailoring with sportswear. Browne might be known for his shrunken silhouette but inside the grandeur and opulence of the Armoury, the theatrical designer pushed himself and menswear forward with a terrific display of diversity. Proportions have always been a key to Browne's aesthetic but here he combines elongated knitwear with chunky ski lodge jumpers, priestly stoles with tightly corseted outerwear, long dresses with raccoon fur tails dangling like fringe, even the accessories were blown up with briefcases the size of suitcases and huge fur clutches. All of which combined to remind us that Thom Browne equates to much more than an ankle revealing grey flannel suit.

Dazed Digital: What was the starting point for the collection?
Thom Browne: Seeing the space and the fact that I wanted to do a play on proportions. People know me for my fit and for these new proportions I needed a big space like this for them to really work.

Dazed Digital: The show had such a strong sense of grandeur which was only accentuated by the setting.
Thom Browne: Exactly. I looked to collegial Old America for inspiration. I just find this golden age to be so beautiful. For me, the Armory represents this era.

Dazed Digital: There is a definite influence of sportswear, with Rugby, football and fencing all represented. Do you think your collaborations with Moncler have enhanced the role of sportswear in designing your own line?
Thom Browne: Well, I've always used sports as an influence. The Moncler collaboration has certainly enhanced it but as a designer I've always been interested in sportswear. Sports for guys is a great starting point because even if you do something quite crazy it can still be understood.

Dazed Digital: You manage to weave your signature throughout the whole collection, be that a braided choker in red, white and blue or your initials embroidered on to elbow patches.  
Thom Browne: I think it just happens. I don't really think about it all that much. They are just things that are really interesting to me.

Visit our Entire New York Fashion Week coverage »»