Matisse's cutouts were the starting point for Thakoon's Resort collection. "There was something joyful in the shapes," Thakoon Panichgul said, pointing out that he got interested in the cutouts before the Tate's exhibition on the subject opened in April. That joyfulness translated to Panichgul's new clothes. There was a lot of energy in the oversize orange-and-turquoise floral print of the opening coat; it also looked fresh slightly scaled down on an A-line skirt that he paired with a tank in a silk scarf print. Panichgul has avoided mixed prints for a while now, but he's got a real knack for them; he was smart to bring the look back. He also did some clever thinking on the embellishments front. When is a marinière-stripe top not merely another marinière-stripe top? (We've certainly all seen enough of those.) When the bottom comes bordered in a deep hem of embroidered lace. And how do you elevate a gabardine pantsuit? Other than by pairing it with painted snakeskin platform sandals, that is? Panichgul opted to embroider the hem of the jacket, which served to soften its edges. Knits got special treatment, too. Simple cotton crewnecks were trimmed with braided leather, and a rugby-striped knit was spliced with some of that scarf print silk. Best of all was a navy hand-knit cabled tunic with dense shags of fringe around the neck that he paired with a buoyant black plissé skirt.
