Taylor Wessing has advised Farfetch, the pioneering fashion retailer that brings together more than 300 of the world's best independent designer boutiques, on its acquisition of Browns, the iconic London boutique.

Farfetch will use the acquisition to build on 45 years of Browns heritage and combine it with its own expertise and unique merchandising approach, evolving the Browns brand both offline and online while creating a pioneering blend of technology and in-store experience. This acquisition is part of Farfetch's long term plan to develop a global technology platform that will enable progression towards shaping the retail experience of the future.

Browns, which initially opened on South Molton Street in 1970, has grown to become one of London's most important fashion destinations, expanding through five connecting townhouses and now offering items handpicked from the world's top designers.

José Neves, CEO and founder of Farfetch, said: “The vision is to answer the question ‘How will people shop for luxury fashion 5 or 10 years into the future?’ This won’t be purely online. The answer, we believe, will be a seamless merge of a fantastic physical experience with powerful, yet subtle technology. Browns is the perfect partner for this evolution.”

Graham Hann, client relationship partner for Farfetch, said: "Farfetch is a leader in high-end fashion retail, and it's fascinating to see the joining of one of the online fashion industry's pioneers with a name which is iconic in London's fashion scene, creating a platform for the fashion store of the future."

The Taylor Wessing team was led by Russell Holden, partner in the Corporate Finance practice. He was supported by Katie Bennett (Corporate Finance); Joanna McMurdo (Corporate Finance); Graham Hann (IT, Telecoms and Competition), Emma Zarb (Employment); Owen Spencer (Real Estate); John Whitfield (Real Estate); Rosalind Upstill (Tax & Incentives); Chris Benson (Trade Marks, Copyright & Media), Louise Taylor (IT, Telecoms and Competition), Carina Badger (IT, Telecoms and Competition) and Lucy Bowler (Corporate Finance).