Browns is celebrating 50 years of fashion with some iconic names

Browns is 50 years old today! To celebrate, the high fashion giant has teamed up with some big names for its new campaign, 'The Height of Fashion'.

But before we talk about what's happening today, let's take a little stroll back through Brown's rich history. It was launched in 1970 by Joan Burstein (known as Mrs B for short) who took over a small shop front on London’s South Molton Street, transforming it into the iconic fashion mainstay it is today.

Collaborations over the decades have included campaigns featuring the likes of Peggy Dillard, a certain Manolo Blahnik working on the shop floor, Mrs. B snapping up Galliano’s graduate collection and many, many more.

In fact, some famous faces have shared their memories of the store, including Mr. Blahnik, who told us, 'I have lots of memories but my most treasured memory was working and learning from the wonderful Mrs. B, she had such a flair for fashion, seeking out new designers, she always kept it fresh and fun.'

Holli Rogers, CEO of Browns and Chief Brand Officer Farfetch, which bought the former in 2015, took the brand to new levels in 2016.

She explains, 'My most treasured memory of Browns will always be when we rebranded the business back in 2016. This was the first time Browns had rebranded in its 46 year history and we wanted to create an identity that was true to the Browns DNA and heritage, yet reflective of our growth and vision for the future. I always get that sense of joy when I’m out in the most random of places and spot someone carrying a Browns bag - the brand is instantly identifiable.'

DISCOVER THE BROWNS 50TH BIRTHDAY COLLECTION

Holli also helped launch Browns East, the Shoreditch branch. She explains, 'Opening Browns East will be one of my treasured memories as it was a career first for me and a defining moment, a stake in the ground, and a fundamental next step in forging the path for a new era of Browns. My career to date had predominantly been in the online space so I learned so many lessons along the way particularly around how we engage all the senses in a physical space from the scent, to the music which has become a huge part of who we are, to the tactile nature of the fixtures to the introduction of a cafe, I’d never worked with food before - we really just wanted to create a space for our community.'

Alongside the testimonials, you can also shop a whole host of exclusive capsules from both the established names at Browns to the next generation of talent including Givenchy, Balmain, Off-White, Molly Goddard, Simone Rocha, Charles Jeffrey, Casablanca, Bode and more.

Happy birthday Browns!

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.