In his magnum opus Ulysses, James Joyce eternalised the charm and aspiration of Dublin’s prominent department store, Brown Thomas, with a narrative of Leopold Bloom entranced by its window display on June 16th, 1904, immersed in sensuous desires and memories of Molly.
2024 marks the 175-year milestone of Brown Thomas, first established on Grafton Street by Hugh Brown and James Thomas, two cloth merchants, during a challenging phase in Ireland’s past.
In later years, under the auspices of the cultured and forward-thinking McGuire family, who took charge in 1933, the shop flourished into an embodiment of refinement, luxury, and class that still holds today. The McGuires recognised early the significance of striking window displays for attracting viewers, engaging artist Norah McGuinness to design them, whose theatrical sets were showstoppers.
The shop changed hands in 1971 when it was bought by Canadian entrepreneur Galen Weston, who appointed his wife and renowned supermodel, Hilary Frayne, as a director. The young, stylish, innovative and globally-minded pair symbolised the wider shifts in Irish society during the tumultuous 1970s and embarked on revitalising the store into a swish and upmarket shopping destination.
Nowadays, Brown Thomas still upholds these principles and, being a core feature of the Grafton Street landscape, continues to deliver global perspectives to its consumers via leading international brands like Dior, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, and Loewe.
The primary entrance unfolds into a sizeable, luminous and chic ground floor home to perfume, skincare, and makeup counters, including Charlotte Tilbury, Mac, Jo Malone, Frederic Malle and Chanel, whereas its adjacent Planet Beauty shop showcases the most sought-after niche brands. The extravagant footwear department offers shoes for every event, featuring the latest designs in sandals, boots, and trainers by creators from Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Carvela, and LK Bennett to Nike and Adidas. Other sections of the store present top brands in male fashion, home goods, and kitchenware.
Brown Thomas, an exceptional destination in Dublin, continues to be a beacon of unique and creative fashion as highlighted by Hilary O’Kelly, a dress historian and lecturer at NCAD. She asserts that the store, evoking the sleek pages of a fashion magazine with its quality materials and skilled tailoring, epitomises the concept of a department store. No plastic is seen, only authentic materials such as wool, silk and cotton are used along with careful attention to cutting and draping.
These sentiments are mirrored by Edmund Shanahan, a seasoned retail analyst, who emphasises the necessity for every capital to exhibit a hallmark store that blends native creativity with global design.
Further endorsement comes from Stephanie Rains, a Maynooth University associate professor specialising in media studies, who notes Brown Thomas as a major retail anchor in the city centre. She remarks on the unchanging consumer culture in Dublin over the 175 years of Brown Thomas’s existence with the store’s constant presence on Grafton Street as a significant factor.
One commendable initiative of the last ten years is Create, an annual event promoting Irish talent in fashion and accessories. Introduced in 2010, during Ireland’s economic recovery, it has since become an integral part of the Irish fashion schedule. The event displayed works of numerous now-renowned fashion figures like JW Anderson and Richard Malone, and hosted a Sybil Connolly retrospective in 2013.
Furthermore, “The Designers to Watch”, a collaboration between Brown Thomas and NCAD since 2014, has been pivotal in discovering and bringing attention to burgeoning local talent in the fashion graduate demographic.
A semi-annual fashion spectacle by Brown Thomas is a standout event in Dublin’s fashion landscape. The shows, taking place in spring and winter, routinely inhabit intriguing or unique locations as they showcase essential items from fashion capital cities like Milan, Paris, London, and New York. Recently, this fashion event made a vividly unforgettable mark in the impressive Exo building, Dublin’s tallest commercial structure, with breathtaking, comprehensive views of the city. With an infusion of vintage 90s-inspired fashion into the classic couture and bold statements, the spring 2024 show didn’t disappoint.
Historically, Brown Thomas has managed to weather the storms of change and stay ahead in the marketplace. The company has effectively adapted to shifts over the years, mirroring economic variations and the unpredictability of retail landscapes and societal climates. Brown Thomas has embraced the digital world thoughtfully with a dynamic and thorough e-commerce platform. Their digital trade has seen a significant surge, tripling since 2019, as per McDonald, the chief executive of Brown Thomas Arnotts.
Brown Thomas provides customers with personalised shopping encounters, concierge services, and an annual visual feast with their Christmas window displays- some of the city’s grandest. These displays, meticulously created by their in-house team, ensure Grafton Street is resplendent during the festive season. It remains crucial for Brown Thomas to deliver thrill, experiences, and desire to maintain interest for Dublin residents and tourists in both its brick and mortar and virtual spaces.
Regardless of the season, Brown Thomas’ windows, brimming with creativity and potential, will keep diverting attention, compelling onlookers to halt, just like they did to Leopold Bloom over a century ago.