Omaha Fashion Week is going online-only this season due to Covid-19. We are replacing our traditional runway shows with thought-provoking conversations featuring industry experts from Omaha and across the US. Our third conversation of the week is with Thakoon, who graduated from high school right here in Nebraska! The OFW team has enjoyed talking to him about his memories of Nebraska and learning about his favorite haunts in the Old Market. (Hint: he got a lot of inspiration thrifting on 24th St!)

Panichgul started his career as a fashion editor for Harper’s Bazaar, covering runway designers and chasing style news. Wanting to try his hand at designing, he enrolled at Parsons School of Design in New York City. In 2004, Panichgul created his first ready-to-wear collection centered on pieces that were, at once, beautiful and easy to wear. An overnight success, he was championed by both the press and those in the public eye, appeared in countless spreads of major magazines, and became the go-to designer for many celebrities - including Michelle Obama. He was mentored by Anna Wintour and appeared in the fashion documentary "The September Issue".

Recently, he made a surprising move: he took a two-year break. During that time, he realized that loud and flashy fashion noises were drowning out good, simple, and affordable designs. It led him to relaunch his brand as a direct-to-consumer line of functional, beautiful, and well-designed wardrobe essentials.