The designer tells CELINE CHEN about celebrating his label’s 10th year and his new line of understated leather bags.
The designer tells CELINE CHEN about celebrating his label’s 10th year and his new line of understated leather bags.
It’s almost an understatement to say that this year’s a big one for Th akoon Panichgul – he’s celebrating his 10th year as a fashion designer. “The past decade has been such an amazing ride. To be able to look back and see that I’ve built a brand and that people around the world follow it is the biggest highlight,” the 40-year-old Thai- American designer told us, ahead of his Fall/Winter 2015 show at the recent Singapore Fashion Week.
In the last decade, his creations have been seen on high-powered women – from America’s First Lady Michelle Obama (Thakoon shot to fame after she wore his floral-print sheath dresses), to actresses like Sienna Miller, who donned a red-hot sequinned suit to the Met Gala in New York earlier this year. He isn’t just for celebrities, though. “(The Thakoon woman) is someone who knows her fashion, but wants clothes that work for her.
She’s busy, she doesn’t want to be fussy and she’s not obsessed with labels,” he says. His Fall/Winter 2015 collection is inspired by the minimalism of the ’90s and the “wild-child spirit” of the ’70s, he says. It packs ombre mohair coats, and patchwork knit and tweed pieces, as well as his personal fave look from the collection: a flowy, printed midi dress with a crinkled texture and sheer neckline. “I love the ease of a long, printed dress,” he tells us.
Not surprising, considering that he’s come to be known for his mix of draping, patterns and lush textures. To mark his 10 years in the business, Thakoon has launched a new line of bags with his Spring/Summer 2015 collection, featuring work-perfect leather totes, satchels and cross-body bags. “For us, a bag isn’t something that’s flashy. It’s simple and subtle with quality leather, manufacturing and details,” he says.
The minimalist, understated designs have already been spotted on the arms of actresses Dakota Johnson and Jessica Alba. With a string of successes under his belt, the designer (who doesn’t have a retail store yet) plans to set up an e-store soon – his pieces are currently stocked at shopping sites www.net-a-porter.com and www.shopbop.com.
