The upcoming inauguration of Browns Brook Street‘s grand premises might be any city’s instant cure for a drab pandemic retail landscape, but it’s in London where a demographic of discerning shoppers gain impetus to venture into town and splurge on a tightly curated range of coming season’s hottest trophies. Since global online retailer Farfetch snapped up the iconic Browns boutique in 2015, the latter is shifting gear, aligning its operations to the owner’s core business yet retaining its expertise, and more interestingly, serving as the physical exponent of the hugely successful online retail business. Browns Brook Street is the next step in a meticulously planned scheme, and it’s a brilliant one at that, adding to the British capital’s already impressive array of upscale boutiques. Occupying a listed structure built in 1720, it was remodelled and extended in the early 19th-century in neo-classical style, and is only a stone’s throw away from the original digs on South Molton Street where Browns started in 1970. Farfetch tapped acclaimed Milan-based architecture and design practice Dimore Studio to design the settings for the four-storey boutique, resulting in a series of highly seductive spaces with a private boudoir feel.
Drawing inspiration from the historic listed premises, obviously most of the ‘original’ architectural elements needed to be preserved, but these have been both compatibly and eclectically paired with materials and volumes which signal Browns‘ vision of contemporary luxury shopping. Anticipating the seasoned eye of its target demographic, Browns Brook Street sees one alluring room after another, each flaunting a modern and seductive kind of opulence, which usually only private premises evoke. Heightening the homey sense of privacy, albeit in a distinctly connoisseur way, are elements which intentionally reference renowned artists and designers. Custom designed and handmade wallpaper depicting faded floral Victorian patterns contrast with the essential, clean cut lines of the furnishing and lights, such as the neon lamps by Eileen Gray, the Elettra chairs by Arflex and the Gino Sarfatti lamps with exposed bulbs. Original floorboards are contrasted with monolithic modern structures, whilst exquisite hand-painted wallpapers preserve the colour and pattern of the original site. All of these intentional design choices restore original features, and as said, they’re paired with modernity.
The ground floor sees a number different rooms, including a completely movable space, dubbed The Focus, featuring exclusive capsule collections, collaborations and the newest fashion talent, a fragrance corner, an understated room dedicated to fine jewellery and watches, a shoe room full of sneakers, and Native at Browns, a restaurant with a charming outdoor courtyard set in lush greenery helmed by Native head chef Ivan Tisdall-Downes and co-founder Imogen Davis. The culinary innovators bring along a zero-waste dining concept, offering seasonal produce and ethical dining in a fitting setting by Red Deer, a sustainable design practice based in London. One floor up, the women’s domain unfolds, presenting a tight curation of apparel and accessories, most notably in the so-called Yellow Room. The former home of American heiress and style icon Nancy Lancaster in the 1950s now features the very best of womenswear, from traditional luxury ready-to-wear brands to the brightest next generations name. The setting of Lancaster’s infamous Yellow Room remains almost untouched; the jewel in the crown on the first floor keeps its original features all while showcasing the best of the womenswear offering on modern movable ceiling height copper structures. The space has been designed for celebration, with the installations being movable so it can be transformed into an opulent event space at any time.
The third floor is entirely dedicated to the very best in menswear, presenting anything from activewear to fine British and Italian tailoring, including a made-to-measure service which will be launched next summer. Also to be found here is the second edition of Browns’ immersive room which continues the success of satellite premises Browns East and brand partners taking over the space with a rotation of of unique and unusual experiences, and the first up is British artist Juno Calypso. The top floor of Browns Brook Street, dubbed The Club, perhaps epitomises the synergy of Farfetch and Browns best. As the exclusive playground of the two entities’ most valued clients, it features a bar called The Parlour and no less than three personal shopping suites—Jimi, Joan and Nancy, all named after the building’s illustrious residents of the past, being musician Jimi Hendrix, Browns co-founder Joan Berstein and the aforementioned American heiress. This by-appointment only service offers styling, beauty and wellness experiences with a curated host of industry icons and rising stars. And that’s still not all. The opening of Browns Brook Street comes with a concierge service which aims to elevate the shopping experience even further with curated and personalised services that even go beyond shopping at Browns Brook Street. Next to a team of savvy fashion specialists, assisted by nifty tech innovations, shoppers will experience a higher level of customer service than ever before. Browns Brook Street officially opens its doors on Mon – Apr 12.
Browns Brook Street
39 Brook Street (Mayfair)
London W1K 4JE
Telephone: +44 20 75140016
Mon-Wed 11-8
Thu-Fri 11-9
Sat 11-8
Sun 1-7
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