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Q&A: Thakoon

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Were you influenced by fashion while you were growing up?

I was born in northern Thailand and raised in Bangkok before I moved to the US at the age of 11. I always remember being aware of the how women dressed. In Thailand, lots of women would work at home as seamstresses or tailors, and their friends would come in with fabric and pictures of dresses they wanted. That fashion perspective has stayed with me since then.

You actually studied at business school - when did fashion design come into the picture?

I went to business school because that was where my family wanted me to go. Anything creative was viewed as a hobby rather than something you make a living from. So when I finished college I moved to New York and got a job as a merchandiser for J. Crew. In 2000, by chance, I got a gig as an editor at Harper's Bazaar. I quickly realised [editing] wasn't the path for me, so I decided to pursue design. It was intimidating at first so I started taking classes on my own at Parsons; I didn't tell anyone and did it over weekends to see if I would like it. In the end, it was much better than doing a degree because I could pick and choose my classes.

What was your first collection like?

My first collection [in 2004] featured many pieces that I consider to be twists on classics - it was and is still about reinterpreting what is considered a classic and making it different. I made items like a trenchcoat in clear vinyl and lace and a tweed blazer that was bluntly chopped with the lining showing. It was about rethinking a silhouette of something that is perceived as a wardrobe staple and giving it my own spin. There is plenty of deconstruction in my work and I like the idea of taking womanly or feminine fabrics and developing and using them differently.

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