Thakoon: Versailles Meets Kenyan Tribe

When Anna Wintour publicly promotes your talent, there’s a lot of pressure to live up to it. But when the great Anna talks about your work, brings a camera crew into your studio, like she did in The September Issue, then she world to your feet and if you fail to impress, things could get a little embarrassing – for you and her.

Luckily for Thakoon, the moment of possible embarrassment has never come. Thai-born designer, Thakoon Panichgul, has become one of the hottest tickets at New York Fashion Week and with good reason. His unique point of view has had editors swooning, each season outdoing the last.

This season, he chose an unlikely marriage of the costumes worn at Versailles meets the clothes worn by a Kenyan tribe. Rococo Masai?

Thakoon played the interesting juxtaposition well – a puffer jacket with removable panniers, a ‘mullet’ skirt that was short in the front but long in the back, worn over printed cropped pants and a high degree of African-inspired prints infused with ruffles and decadent volume associated with Marie Antoinette. Blue and red plaids worn by the African warriors were dominant in this collection.

The intelligence and irony of this collection cannot be denied. Thakoon is worth all the hype.

photos: Style.com