Thom Browne was born and grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania, USA. Though he loved fashion design from a young age, he graduated from the University of Notre Dame with an Economics degree.

After trying to act in Los Angeles, Browne went to New York to work as a salesman in Giorgio Armani's showroom. There, he was mentioned by one of the Polo Ralph Lauren brands, Club Monaco, and was made its Team Lead for Creative Development. After several years of being employed at Club Monaco, including working together with Ralph Lauren, the designer decided to launch his own label.

In 2006, Brooks Brothers asked Browne to be a guest designer for their exclusive high-end women's and men's collection, Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers. The collection became extremely successful, and Brooks Brothers entered a long-term partnership with Browne.
 

Another winning partnership occurred in 2008, when Moncler persuaded Browne to design Moncler Gamme Bleu, their men’s top line, which was presented at Milan Fashion Week.

During his career, Browne received a number of prestigious awards, including the CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award, the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, the GQ Designer of the Year, and many others.