Electric Light

Earlier in the week, many of the collections featured so many dark colors and long-sleeved looks that they could easily have been mistaken for fall lines if it wasn’t for the absence of fur. This was not the case for Wednesday’s shows, however, where both the silhouettes and colors were light and airy. The rising star Thakoon Panichgul made an interesting style U-turn in his fourth collection. It seems that the Thai-born designer, who drew an elite audience of top-notch editors and buyers, follows a pattern according to the seasons. Whereas his fall collections tend to be sharp and tailored, his spring lines are exercises in deconstructed softness. Weightless wonders like a layered, semi-sheer strapless organza dress and elongated tank dresses with low-cut scoop backs trimmed with fluttering petal applications had a cool and slightly otherworldly beauty. Mr. Panichgul has a fascination with material and construction, and it was exciting to see him let loose his experimental side with twisted seams, loose ruffles, delicately tied straps and cutouts, and criss-crossing seams that looked like overblown spider webs. It was daring, innovative, and just restrained enough to appeal to the polished pedigree up front.