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Thakoon Panichgul

Following the two themes which I have touched upon- "Alexander Wang" and "The September Issue" I want to introduce you another figure of eastern origins who made a huge career in the U.S. His name is Thakoon Panichgul.

Born in Thailand, Thakoon moved to the U.S with his family at the age of 11. He grew up in Nebraska because his mother got a job sewing blankets and coats in Pandleton Woolen Mills. Observig her tailoring skills, he simply fell in love with fashion. He followed the way people put their clothes together in order to create perfect sets. Moreover, he was very into reading fashion magazines in order to create his own, sophisticated sense of style.

Although Thakoon was a very talented boy, his mother wanted him to have a practical and well paid job so he graduated from Boston University with a business degree. Having his diploma, he finally decided to purchase his dreams and started studies at Parsons School of Design. (Graduated in 2003). And here his advanture started!

He got an intership at Showroom Seven (press and sales showroom in NY), worked in production for J. Crew as a liaison among the designers and merchandisers. Undoubtedly, Thakoon gained some experience there but it was not enough for such an ambitious guy. Yet, where is a will, there is a way so Thakoon became an assistant in the fashion features department at Harper's Bazaar which allowed him to learn about fashion industry from the top. He spent four years tracing new trends and writing about them.

Possessing a technical knowledge but at the same time being new, fresh and creative, in 2004 Thakoon launched his first ready to wear collection and became recognized by the world of fashion. His next step was producing a fashion line for GAP in 2007 after being selected and discovered by Anna Wintour ("The September Issue").

 

 

 

 

What is his style?

His collections are very classy, chic and timelessly feminine. He like up to knee dresses, skinny trousers and elegant coats. What distinguishes him from other designers are new, original spins on classical and oridinary pieces. Moreover he takes an advantage of colors, mixing prints and geometric patterns.

When asked about references in his collections, Thakoon asserted that America itself is the source of inspirations for him. He was digging the past and noticed that the most noticable are the two cultures- Indian and Cowboys. In his last collection he wanted to emphasize the cowboy style with Indian colors (orange, turquise, lavender, pink, cumin)and prints so as to show his respect to the past.

 

 

 

The last thing which is worth mentioning is the fact that Thakoon fell into favor with the First Lady Michelle Obama. When her husband- Barack accepted Democratic nomination for the president 2008, the choice of the floral dress wore by Michelle was widely discussed in the media. She won an approval and simultaneously became one of the best dressed women in the world.