Thai-born Thakoon brings Oscar Wilde to runway

NEW YORK: Thai-born, Nebraska-raised designer Thakoon Panichgul moved decisively into a second decade in fashion on Sunday by unveiling a vibrant, bohemian collection for fall/winter 2015 inspired by Oscar Wilde.

The runway show in Hell’s Kitchen was attended by US celebrities such as Victoria’s Secret model Lily Aldridge who braved freezing winter temperatures on day four of New York Fashion Week.

The New York based designer showcased long, lean silhouettes, crinkled chiffon, velvet embroideries, tweed and baja knits. For evening there was silk chiffon and dark midnight fringed sequins to provide romance.

“All of the fabrics that I was really loving are all textural, there’s like a mohair wool, there’s velvet tapestry and there was a richness to it that was really reminiscent of Oscar Wilde,” the designer told AFP.

“It was basically talking the idea of Bohemia but mixing it with 19th century dandy.”

Thakoon has dressed First Lady Michelle Obama and Hollywood star Demi Moore, late last year marked a decade as a coveted designer after unveiling his first collection in September 2004.

“I feel great,” he said. “It feels really wonderful.”

The Thakoon woman, he explained, is feminine and artistic, refined but a tomboy. And his collection has developed substantially over the decade.

“There are things that I love doing now, like taking menswear shirting and twisting it for women... As I designed more and more I discovered that i loved all the things like that,” he said.

Sunday was also the first Thakoon runway show to feature handbags, which the brand launched quietly last season.

“These really accompany the clothes really well... they don’t scream bags, they scream just a little something to add to the collection,” he said. Now in his 40s, he says fashion is still about fantasy.

“We all want to dream, there is a fantasy to fashion. That’s why we all love fashion... so it’s really about injecting that every season.” — AFP