Joan Burstein
Creative Director
Recognised as one of the world’s most important fashion destinations, Joan Burstein founded Browns with her husband, Sidney, in 1970. Initially a small boutique housed on the ground floor of 27 South Molton Street, Browns grew rapidly expanding through five connecting Georgian town houses and providing a pre-edited selection of the very best pieces.
Christened ‘the fairy godmother of fashion’ by VOGUE.COM, Burstein has an innate flair for spotting fresh talent and is famously credited with discovering names such as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Christopher Kane, as well as introducing Jil Sander, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani and Comme des Garçons to London.
Browns has continued to champion talent over the last 43 years and more recently Burstein and the team have been the first to buy into a new generation of designers, including Gareth Pugh, Ostwald Helgason and Meadham Kirchhoff.
In 2006, Mrs. B (as she’s affectionately known in the industry) was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list in acknowledgement not only of her achievements at Browns, but for her support of the British fashion industry as a whole.
Today Burstein works alongside her two children with her son Simon Burstein as CEO and her daughter Caroline Burstein as creative director.
Recognised as one of the world’s most important fashion destinations, Joan Burstein founded Browns with her husband, Sidney, in 1970. Initially a small boutique housed on the ground floor of 27 South Molton Street, Browns grew rapidly expanding through five connecting Georgian town houses and providing a pre-edited selection of the very best pieces.
Christened ‘the fairy godmother of fashion’ by VOGUE.COM, Burstein has an innate flair for spotting fresh talent and is famously credited with discovering names such as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano and Christopher Kane, as well as introducing Jil Sander, Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani and Comme des Garçons to London.
Browns has continued to champion talent over the last 43 years and more recently Burstein and the team have been the first to buy into a new generation of designers, including Gareth Pugh, Ostwald Helgason and Meadham Kirchhoff.
In 2006, Mrs. B (as she’s affectionately known in the industry) was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list in acknowledgement not only of her achievements at Browns, but for her support of the British fashion industry as a whole.
Today Burstein works alongside her two children with her son Simon Burstein as CEO and her daughter Caroline Burstein as creative director.
