Though Thakoon Panichgul has been a fixture on the New York fashion scene for more than a decade, the Thai-American designer had yet to open a bricks-and-mortar store of his own.
He decided to do things the other way around. This summer, Panichgul launched his e-commerce platform, before opening his flagship on Wooster Street at the end of August, expanding his business model into a multi-channel experience.
The store gives his customers access to an inventory that – importantly for today’s supersonic speed of change in fashion – introduces new collections each season, in limited quantities every two weeks. The retail space, much like the business' practices, is lucid and seamless. SHoP Architects conceived the store according to the Panichgul aesthetic of modern American sportswear with a timeless simplicity.
Vonnegut/Kraft designed the woven leather seating pieces
‘We played with deceptively simple materials,’ say SHoP, referring to the timber structure of raw American white oak that’s the first thing to catch the eye upon entry. Panichgul and SHoP called upon Brooklyn-based Fernando Mastrangelo for the lightly coloured fittings that form the changing areas, made of concrete poured in layers and redolent of geological strata. Fellow Brooklynites Vonnegut/Kraft, meanwhile, were called in to create a series of woven leather seating pieces.
‘The store is a break from retail precedents, and an intentional reduction of visual anxieties commonly found in retail design,’ states SHoP. London-based Cypriot Michael Anastassiades' atmospheric style only helps to soothe big city stresses, through the spherical double-height lighting of his signature.
One might say that New York’s Soho is crawling with similar projects: historical renovations, cast iron, and floor-to-ceiling windows. Yet Panichgul’s gentle and intensely collaborative approach pulls the flagship together, revealing Thakoon’s serenity within dynamic New York roots.
The retail space is lucid and aesthetically seamless
In the fitting areas, Fernando Mastrangelo poured concrete in layers redolent of geological strata
’We played with deceptively simple materials’, say architects SHoP, referring to the raw American white oak at the entrance
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Thakoon website
ADDRESS
Thakoon
70 Wooster Street
New York, NY 10012
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports carECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary artThe luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
-
Once vacant, London's grand department stores are getting a new lease on lifeThanks to imaginative redevelopment, these historic landmarks are being rebonr as residences, offices, gyms and restaurants. Here's what's behind the trend
-
AlphaTauri’s Salzburg HQ is a science fiction fantasyBrowse in-store, buy online: the future-focused mentality of AlphaTauri
-
Water inspires Holzweiler’s Snøhetta-designed Oslo flagshipHolzweiler Platz, the new retail destination of fashion brand Holzweiler in Oslo, is designed by architects Snøhetta as a naturalistic space that unites fashion, art and food
-
Manu Atelier's first boutique nods to Le Corbusier in IstanbulThe cult Istanbul-based label introduces bold, sculptural expressionism into this first bricks and mortar store
-
Louis Vuitton's Ginza Namiki flagship evokes a rippling pillar of waterJapanese architect Jun Aoki creates a water-like facade for Louis Vuitton's Ginza Namiki Tokyo flagship
-
Alternative retail websites for fashionable festive giftingLook to luxury etailers Rêve En Vert, APOC Store and Doda the Store, Aspect and Zero-Living for feel-good gifting options that support emerging creatives and artists, and have a sustainability-focused mindset
-
Aspesi’s upcycled shirt is a winter wardrobe stapleThe Italian brand's Shirt-Jacket 13 silhouette is well padded with eco-credentials
-
David Chipperfield designs Furla's new flagship in Milan's historic Piazza DuomoGio Ponti, Vico Magistretti and Achille Castiglione inspire the brand's newest Milan boutique
-
Morocco-based Marrakshi Life combines traditional techniques with a New York aestheticClothing brand Marrakshi Life champions a unisex, hand-tailored line
