Michelle Obama Wears Thakoon Panichgul

Donna Rico, Maria Pinto and Isabel Toledo - what do these three American fashion designers have in common? They have all been worn by Michelle Obama en route to the White House. Yet another designer with the privilege of dressing Michelle Obama is Thakoon Panichgul.




Who is Thakoon Panichgul?
Thakoon Panichgul was born in Northern Thailand. He migrated to the United States at the age of 11 and grew up in Nebraska. Thakoon became a fashion writer after graduating from Boston University. He then went on to attend the Parsons School of Design subsequent to launching his first collection in 2004. Panichgul received a nomination from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 2006. Although a newcomer to the American Designer Fashion scene, Thakoon Panichgul's collection is widely stocked in the United States, Europe and Asia including Canada, the Middle East and Russia.



How is Thakoon different?
According to his website's bio, "Panichgul has a talent for blending distinctly different influences into his work, imparting a feminine spirit into a youthful, sporty line. The result is clothing that projects poised elegance with an underlying hint of playful wit."

His style has been described as "quirky" having piped a beige trenchcoat with black lace. According to Gill Hart in her article "From the Obama-dress to Lace-edged Trenchcoats & Floral Prints" - "Since his appearance on the fashion scene 4 years ago, American designer Thakoon has quickly become a favorite with celebrities and stylists, whose customers include Rachel Bilson, Demi Moore, and Sarah Jessica Parker. He has become known for sensual, feminine designs that are modern and innovative, which also reflect his Asian roots."

Michelle Obama wears Thakoon Panichgul
Michelle Obama who was usually described as a frugal dresser (having worn Donna Ricco's $148 high waisted black and white print dress) splashed out on this occasion as Thakoon's outfits are usually estimated to be in the region of US$1500.


This is the US$1,250 silk “reverse kimono” dress worn by Michelle Obama to the Democratic National Convention the night her husband accepted the party’s presidential nomination in August.

Michelle wore Thakoon's slim bodice and A-line skirt in raspberry, lavender and black at the Democratic Convention to join husband Barack Obama on stage when he officially accepted his Presidential nomination on behalf of the party.