Thakoon Panichgul

>> The 2009 CFDA Award nominees have just been announced, and Marc Jacobs has already won an award — the International Award for his work at Louis Vuitton (he's nominated in two more categories).  Last year's Swarovski Award winners, Rodarte and Band of Outsiders, have both been bumped up to compete in the respective major league categories, and 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund contenders Albertus Q. Swanepoel, Alejandro Ingelmo, and Jason Wu have all entered the Swarovski Award ring this year. 

We'll have to wait until June 15 to see who wins what, but the ceremony might mark fashion's first Michelle Obama event appearance — she's being honored with this year's Board of Director's Special Tribute for her style choices and penchant for up-and-coming talent.

And now, the nominees . . . »

>> The September Issue, RJ Cutler's documentary film about the making of the September 2007 issue of Vogue, doesn't premiere until this weekend at Sundance — Anna Wintour's attending in support — but a first look is available below, with Anna grilling two editors on whether pink is the most appropriate message for September.  Cutler filmed in the Vogue offices for eight months, coming away with 300 hours of footage, and even though the project was Anna-approved, he didn't always feel welcome.

Apparently, creative director Grace Coddington wasn't a fan of Cutler — "The first thing she said to me was go away . . . She couldn’t throw us out of the building because she’s not the boss. Anna’s the boss and she had invited us in. But she was unhappy to see us. And when Grace is unhappy to see you, that’s not the place anyone wants to be. God bless her, she [eventually] gave us a chance."  Daughter Bee Shaffer, plus plenty of designers — Karl Lagerfeld, Thakoon Panichgul, Nicolas Ghesquiere — all make appearances, and there's even an especially timely moment where Wintour ponders the end of her career.

The much-awaited clip! »

>> Thakoon Panichgul is one of a few designers working on line expansions — Doo-Ri Chung and Jason Wu included — and Thakoon Addition is his product.  The line, which is not diffusion but rather supplementary, focuses on some of the designer's most popular designs and is at the same price point as his runway clothes. As the designer explains it: 

Primarily, I see Thakoon Addition as a place to store ideas. In any given season, I’ve got ideas flying around that don’t fit what I’m planning for the runway, but belong somewhere. Now I don’t have to abandon that stuff. And Thakoon Addition can be a home for recurring pieces as well; looks my customers want from me, consistently.  Now, maybe I’ll have a chance to experiment more, but at heart I like to make wearable clothes. 

The collection, which hits stores May 15, is full of the designer's name-making prints, including florals and leopard, plus dresses and a couple of skirtsuits.
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>>  IN PRODUCTION —It's perfect timing for Thakoon's Target collection, since Michelle Obama has been sporting his florals in the public eye.  The capsule collection is out at Christmas, priced between $20-$70, but the first look just arrived, full of those powerful Thakoon prints we know and love. [Nylon]

>> IN PRODUCTION —Thakoon Panichgul's sportswear collection for Target will be out Christmas Day, and he promises plenty of those prints he's so well known for: "They were very easy to work with. They wanted a lot of prints, and I chose silhouettes that have done well in the past." [WWD]

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>> INSIDER WIRE —Big coup for Thakoon Panichgul last night: Instead of going with Oscar de la Renta or Carolina Herrera like so many political women do, Michelle Obama wore a Thakoon Resort 2009 dress for all the world to see while her husband delivered his nomination acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention. [FWD]

>> IN PRODUCTION — Richard Chai is the twelfth, Jonathan Saunders is the thirteenth, and Thakoon Panichgul has just been named the fourteenth Target Go International designer — his collection will be available in late December. Maybe that makes Alexander McQueen the fifteenth? [Slaves to Fashion]

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