Thakoon’s Flagship Store in NYC by SHoP Architects.

Thakoon Panichgul opened his first retail boutique in New York’s chic SoHo neighbourhood in September this year, focused not just on the display of his cutting-edge takes on the classics, but also on breaking down of the fashion business model. Merging the brand’s vision of luxury with strong focus on experimentation, the 230sqm showroom was designed by Thakoon’s friend and longtime collaborator Giancarlo Valle of SHoP Architects (and more recently of Studio Giancarlo Valle – Valle’s design agency focused on building spatial identities for brands.)

Thakoon’s revolutionary direct-to-consumer approach is exciting – here shop, atelier, and fulfilment centre exist in one cohesive space, cutting the department stores out of the equation. Customers are able to purchase collections hot off the runway, with limited-quantity releases occurring every two weeks. In addition to this, the space facilitates an intimate relationship between the designer and the client.

Giancarlo Valle conceived the space on Wooster Street in keeping with the tone of the heritage neighbourhood. The interior is centred around the impressive cast-iron columns, which tell the story of a former factory and offer a compelling contrast to the restrained interior insertion. A selection of handpicked raw materials, such as timber, brass, concrete and travertine, line the interior, giving the space a slick but feminine edge. 10 points from us.

See more Fashion Retail project on Yellowtrace.

[Images courtesy of Thakoon. Photography by Naho Kubota.]