In the tense moments before the restaurant is about to open, in the season two finale of The Bear, head chef Carmy places a Thom Browne box in front of sous-chef Sydney. Inside is a white chef coat, with the US designer’s stripes on the arm, which she wears throughout the episode – through mounting kitchen drama and chaos. Miraculously, she keeps it spotless. Miraculous, too, for Thom Browne. In a show celebrated for its storytelling though clothing choices, the placement was a marketing coup.
“I haven’t really caught up with the show,” Browne says from his grey-panelled office in midtown Manhattan. But two PRs helpfully interject that Chris Storer, creator of the hit show, is a longtime customer. Plus, Browne is friends with its lead actors Ayo Edebiri, who plays Sydney, and Jeremy Allen White (Carmy).
