AFTER LAUNCHING his line nearly 20 years ago, New York designer Thom Browne began working with Rocco Ciccarelli, a now-retired Italian tailor who came to the U.S. in 1955. Mr. Ciccarelli appreciated the “mix of French, Italian and English tailors who brought [something] from home to create this American sensibility,” recalled Mr. Browne, known for his surreal womenswear and shrunken men’s suits. LeBron James is a dedicated fan of the latter.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art will explore that mutt-like sensibility in a new two-part fashion exhibition, which includes Mr. Browne’s work. The first show, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” opens Sept. 18.