Browns Unveils A Makeover To “Become The Coolest Boutique In The World”
The company’s CEO Holli Rogers talks us through her new direction
Browns has undergone a serious makeover in a bid to become “the coolest boutique in the world”.
The rebrand will see the launch of a new website, logo, packaging and store decor. The buying direction will also change, with the introduction of nearly 70 new brands.
While the Burstein family remain advisors, Browns’ CEO Holli Rogers is heading up the transition and she has big goals for the company.
“Ultimately, I want to reestablish Browns as the coolest boutique in the world,” said Rogers. “This means we must continue to offer the ultimate fashion edit and curation, whilst proudly following Mrs B’s legacy of challenging the norm, whether that’s the discovery of new brands or the seamless integration of technology. This is always with the focus firmly on our customers, ensuring that every individual has a bespoke, effortless and fun experience however they engage with us.”
Holli Rogers
The famed influential London store, which helped boost the careers of John Galliano, Manolo Blahnik and Alber Elbaz, was bought by the online-shopping platform Farfetch. Browns has since seen a triple-digit growth turnover.
Rogers asserts that a mix of luxury brands with rising design stars (a Browns signature) is important. She has also introduced more accessible brands for the first time, including the Scandi store Ganni.
“This season, for example, we launched exclusively an incredible shoe and ready-to-wear designer called Maryam Nassir Zadeh,” she says. “We discovered a fantastic London-based shoe designer called Jennifer Chamandi and championed Y Project as the next Vetements, with an exclusive range. Another key element has been the introduction more accessible price points as have brought on board brands such as Saks Pot, Sandy Laing and Ganni.”
The logo, an instantly recognisable facet of the brand, was carefully considered – resulting in a striking motif that sits at the bottom of all packaging rather than in the middle as is tradition.
The new Browns logo
“This represents the idea that as a multi-brand retailer that stocks an array of designers and most of the world’s luxury brands, we are a wonderful container for those brands and we provide a foundation,” says Rogers. “This also references our heritage of discovering talent.”
To kick off the celebrations, Browns will unveil the ultimate fashion scratch card on Monday, where shoppers are invited to peel off the windows of its flagship South Molton Street store to reveal luxury prizes behind.
“After 47 years, we wanted to reinvigorate our branding as we enter into a new era for Browns,” said Rogers. “We wanted this to be true to Browns DNA and heritage, but reflective of our exciting new changes, growth and vision for the future.”
Via Harper’s Bazaar UK