{{short description|Thai-American fashion designer}} {{Infobox person | image = | name = Thakoon Panichgul | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Nakhon Phanom Province or Chiang Rai province | death_date = | death_place = }} '''Thakoon Panichgul''' ({{IPAc-en|t|ə|ˈ|k|uː|n|_|p|ə|ˈ|n|ɪ|tʃ|ɡ|əl}};<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jadorefashionblog.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/pronunciation-is-key/|title=Pronunciation Is Key|date=June 3, 2009}}</ref> {{langx|th|ฐากูร พานิชกุล}}, born 1973) is a Thai-American fashion designer.
==Early life and education== Thakoon Panichgul was born in Chiang Rai.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://celebrifi.com/celebrities/Thakoon|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090406014406/http://celebrifi.com/celebrities/Thakoon|url-status=usurped|archive-date=April 6, 2009|title=Thakoon gossip, news, photos & videos}}</ref> or Nakhon Phanom province in Thailand.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thairath.co.th/lifestyle/woman/fashion/186862|title=กว่าจะมีวันนี้ ของ "ฐากูร พานิชกุล" ดีไซเนอร์เลือดไทยชื่อก้องโลก|date=July 17, 2011|website=www.thairath.co.th}}</ref>
He moved to the United States with his family when he was 11 years old and grew up in Bellevue, Nebraska.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.teenvogue.com/industry/designer/thakoon|title=Teen Vogue bio| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120519071021/http://www.teenvogue.com/industry/designer/thakoon| archive-date=19 May 2012}}</ref> Panichgul attended Bellevue West High School, where he was a DECA member, attending the international DECA conference in 1993 in Orlando, Florida.{{cn|date=September 2024}}
After graduating from Boston University in 1997 with a business degree, he moved to New York City in order to work in the fashion industry.<ref name=bof>{{cite web | title=Thakoon Panichgul | website=The Business of Fashion | date=2 October 2020 | url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/people/thakoon-panichgul/ | access-date=18 September 2024}}</ref>
After starting a career as a fashion writer, Panichgul developed an interest in designing, and eventually pursued formal studies at Parsons School of Design from 2001 to 2003.<ref name=bof/>
==Career== In 2000, Panichgul started his fashion career in writing at ''Harper's Bazaar'' working as an associate features editor.<ref>Rachel Felder (8 March 2013), [https://www.ft.com/content/1783de9a-8267-11e2-8404-00144feabdc0 The editor’s eye] ''Financial Times''.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Thakoon Panichgul is part of the BoF 500|url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/thakoon-panichgul|access-date=2021-08-31|website=The Business of Fashion|date=2 October 2020 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=bof/>
Kathryn Murdoch co-founded the Thakoon brand of clothing and accessories with Thakoon in 2004, and remained a partner<ref>{{cite web | title=Kathryn Murdoch bio | website=Kathryn Murdoch | url=https://kathrynmurdochhufschmid.wordpress.com/ | access-date=18 September 2024| quote= She continues to be an active investor in efficient and sustainable fashion and has been a partner at Thakoon LLC since 2004.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Thakoon | website=SHOWstudio | url=https://www.showstudio.com/contributors/thakoon | access-date=18 September 2024}}</ref><ref name=quad>{{cite web | title=Kathryn Murdoch | website=Quadrivium | url=http://www.qdvm.org/kathrynmurdoch | access-date=18 September 2024}}</ref> until its sale in 2015.<ref name=afr2021>{{cite web | last=Edgecliffe-Johnson | first=Andrew | title=Real-life succession: Rupert's daughter-in-law Kathryn gets political | website=Australian Financial Review | date=28 December 2021 | url=https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/real-life-succession-rupert-s-daughter-in-law-kathryn-gets-political-20211217-p59ii3 | access-date=18 September 2024| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230401175905/https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/real-life-succession-rupert-s-daughter-in-law-kathryn-gets-political-20211217-p59ii3| archive-date= 1 April 2023| url-status= live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
In September 2004, Panichgul produced his first ready-to-wear collection and became recognized by fashion press, editors and stylists, as well as celebrities like Rachel Bilson, Demi Moore, Michelle Obama, and Sarah Jessica Parker. In 2007 he produced a fashion line for The Gap after being singled out by Anna Wintour of ''Vogue Magazine'', as chronicled in the 2009 American documentary film, ''The September Issue''.<ref>{{cite news|publisher=Wall Street Journal|title=A Design Generation Rising|author=Ray A. Smith|date=2009-09-19|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203440104574401320419023870}}</ref><ref name=bof/>
In 2015, Vivian Chou's company Bright Fame Fashion acquired a controlling interest in Thakoon Corp. for an undisclosed sum;<ref>Lisa Lockwood (11 December 2015), [https://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/chou-controlling-interest-thakoon-10295681/ Chou Acquires Controlling Interest in Thakoon Corp.] ''Women's Wear Daily''.</ref> Murdoch sold her share of the business.<ref name=quad/>
In 2009, Panichgul launched Thakoon Addition as a capsule component to his runway collection.<ref name="auto">Jessica Iredale (16 October 2013), [https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/to-the-feet-7227725/ Thakoon Addition Expanding Into Footwear] ''Women's Wear Daily''.</ref> Addition subsequently had stand-alone presentations at New York Fashion Week.<ref>Lauren Cochrane (6 January 2012), [https://www.ft.com/content/8a11f24e-2a75-11e1-9bdb-00144feabdc0 Parallel lines] ''Financial Times''.</ref> Through a license with Six London, the brand added shoes to the assortment by 2013.<ref name="auto"/>
In 2008, Diego Della Valle signed Panichgul up to create a clothing brand for Hogan.<ref name="auto2"/><ref>Vanessa Friedman (20 September 2012), [https://www.ft.com/content/43c9abb2-b1d6-3143-ae47-9ac162a08370 Diego Della Valle’s latest trend] ''Financial Times''.</ref> In 2009, he ended his two-year contract as the brand's creative director.<ref name="auto1">Sophia Chabbott (9 November 2009), [https://wwd.com/feature/thakoon-panichgul-takes-on-new-creative-role-2366685-1410527/ Thakoon Panichgul Takes Creative Post at Tasaki] ''Women's Wear Daily''.</ref>
Panchigul produced a well-received limited-edition clothing line at Target in early 2009. In 2012, he made a limited-edition series of lacquers for NARS Cosmetics based on the brights from his spring runway.<ref>Sandra Ballentine (18 March 2012), [https://archive.nytimes.com/query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage-9A07E3DB143AF93BA25750C0A9649D8B63.html Polished] ''New York Times''.</ref>
In September 2019, after a two-year hiatus away from the industry in which he changed his approach and realized that "it's not about fads and trends anymore",<ref name=bobila2019>{{cite web | last=Bobila | first=Maria | title=How Thakoon Panichgul Has Adapted His Fashion Brand and Business Over the Past 15 Years | website=Fashionista | date=18 September 2019 | url=https://fashionista.com/2019/09/thakoon-panichgul-new-brand-launch | access-date=18 September 2024}}</ref> Panichgul launched a direct-to-consumer line on THAKOON.com.<ref>{{Cite web|title=From Luxury Fashion to Sweats, How Thakoon Reinvented His Brand & Found Success|url=https://www.thezoereport.com/fashion/designer-thakoon-panichgul-profile|access-date=2021-08-31|website=The Zoe Report|date=12 May 2021 |language=en}}</ref> His new start-up site aimed to create comfortable clothing from a luxury designer perspective.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Segran|first=Elizabeth|date=2020-09-04|title=Can sweatpants ever be high fashion? Thakoon is here to persuade you|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90545995/can-sweatpants-ever-be-high-fashion-thakoon-is-here-to-persuade-you|access-date=2021-09-01|website=Fast Company|language=en-US}}</ref> Panichgul was also the force behind the creative platform HommeGirls: a magazine and retail site that celebrated menswear and tomboy style and culture among women.<ref>{{Cite web|title=From Luxury Fashion to Sweats, How Thakoon Reinvented His Brand & Found Success|url=https://www.thezoereport.com/fashion/designer-thakoon-panichgul-profile|access-date=2021-09-01|website=The Zoe Report|date=12 May 2021 |language=en}}</ref> It was launched via Instagram in March 2019 with images of menswear-inspired fashion.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-06-03|title=HommeGirls Is Our New Favorite Destination for Menswear-Inspired Fashion|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/fashion-designer-thakoon-panichgul-launches-new-zine-called-hommegirls|access-date=2021-09-05|website=Teen Vogue|language=en-US}}</ref>
==Other activities== From 2009 and {{as of|2021}}, Panichgul has been the creative director of jewelry company Tasaki.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-16|title=The making of a jewellery Icon|url=http://www.thejewelleryeditor.com/jewellery/article/best-pearl-jewels-balance-line-tasaki-thakoon-panichgul-iconic-jewelry/|access-date=2021-09-01|website=www.thejewelleryeditor.com}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>
==Recognition== Panichgul was a runner-up for the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund in 2006, and nominated by the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2007 for the Swarovski Award for emerging women's wear designer of the year.<ref name="auto2">Luisa Zargani (16 October 2007), [https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/hogan-taps-thakoon-panichgul-480124/ Hogan Taps Thakoon Panichgul] ''Women's Wear Daily''.</ref><ref name=bof/>
His clothing has been worn by U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, who wore a floral dress by Panichgul on the evening her husband, Barack Obama, accepted his party's nomination for president at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.<ref>Christina Binkley (16 September 2010), [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703743504575493882252756898 An Established Designer With the Eye of an Upstart] ''Wall Street Journal''.</ref>
==Personal life== Panichgul and creative director Russell Spina have been in a relationship since the early 2000s. {{as of|2020}} the couple lives in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood.<ref>Stephanie Cain (24 June 2020), [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/24/fashion/weddings/Thakoon-Panichgul-work-life-balance-quarantine.html Embracing Work-Life Balance at the Dining Room Table] ''New York Times''.</ref>
== References == {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{fashiondesigner|id=thakoon-panichgul}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120820090905/http://nymag.com:80/fashion/fashionshows/designers/bios/thakoon/ ''New York'' magazine profile] (2012)
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Panichgul, Thakoon}} Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Thakoon Panichgul Category:American fashion designers Category:Parsons School of Design alumni Category:Thai emigrants to the United States Thakoon Panichgul Category:Artists from Omaha, Nebraska Category:People from Bellevue, Nebraska Category:People from Sarpy County, Nebraska