Thakoon

The phrase "modern elegance" often calls to mind tired interior design tropes, but that's not the case with Thakoon Panichgul's Pre-Fall 2013 collection.

In this offering, the designer tried to reinterpret what elegance means right now and found that "for elegance to make sense in a modern, working context, it has to be speedier." That means casting aside opera gloves and costume jewels in favor of clothing women could run around in.

It explains the easy-to-wear A-line dresses, made out of everything from gray wool to pink leather. Some of the coats were generously tailored, too, and one featured a cotton-field print that's used in a variety of garments. There's also plenty of texture: Mongolian fur vests and navy-blue leather pieces gave the collection a luxurious edge.

Bobby pins and brows took center stage at Thakoon for Spring 2013. The designer's prints involved colorful birds, and lead hairstylist Odile Gilbert created the perfect cage with her hair design. See the theoretical turned literal and vintage eyebrows turned modern in our backstage coverage.

The look: Thin stencil eyebrows, crimped waves, and glazed nails.
The inspiration: Birds, gilded cages, and butterflies.
Who would wear it: An offbeat bride who channels vintage glamour.

Image Courtesy of NARS

The season was in full bloom at Thakoon Panichgul's Spring 2013 outing. And what a breath of fresh air. Drawing on a floral theme, the designer offered up a delicate garden motif (complete with hummingbirds and butterflies) that felt like a nice treat after all the more serious collections on offer elsewhere this week.

Floral prints wound their way up fluid charmeuse dresses and then turned up elsewhere as embroidery on loose-fitting tops and A-line skirts. Silhouettes had a vaguely Asian feel, with extended shoulder seams and loosely nipped waists. A sweet palette of canary yellow, bright blue, and pastel hues looked fresh against crisp black and white solids, while a series of airy layered looks in tulle, chiffon, and laser-cut silk further lightened the mood.

Check out all the pictures from Thakoon's Spring 2013 collection and come back soon for our full review.

"It's a little bit Americana," Thakoon Panichgul said when describing the Spring 2013 offering for his secondary line, Thakoon Addition. American motifs buzz here and there in the collection: red-and-white stripes are used liberally, and on one t-shirt, a blue floral print takes cover under a big white star. There is also no shortage of denim items — or at least ones that look like denim. Panichgul took Tencel and combined it with silk to create garments that look like chambray but actually aren't. And what could be more American than innovation in design?

Photos courtesy of Thakoon Addition

It's Friday, which means it's time to crown CelebStyle's top star styles of the week. Our standouts this week were Rashida Jones, who worked a bold print Thakoon dress with crystal-coated Valentino sandals; Rachel Weisz, who turned heads in a stunning strapless Christian Dior number with bow-accent Christian Louboutin pumps; Rachel Bilson in her menswear-inspired Malene Birger and Alexander McQueen look with classic feminine flair; and a few more including Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Hart. From red-carpet stunners to casual Summer style, these six starlets really turned it out. Take a closer look at their chic ensembles, see why each trendsetter was crowned, then re-create their looks for your next outing.

Thakoon Panichgul looked to the chandeliers of Fred Wilson and the "architecture of frosting" for Resort 2013, resulting in a cupcake-hued assortment that's sweet but not at all cloying. What gives these youthful separates so much appeal is the innovative mix of fabrics and prints — basket-weave linens, textured neoprene, floral jacquards, graphic gingham — and Panichgul's careful juxtaposition of geometric insets and softly rounded tailoring.