NEW YORK, NY – From runway to retail almost overnight? Sounds like a dream. But thanks to Thakoon’s first stand-alone flagship store in the United States, it’s a reality.

It’s not easy being different. But Thakoon is making it look that way. Following the unveiling of his global e-commerce flagship, Thakoon.com, his new flagship store at 70 Wooster Street in New York marks the culmination of a shift in the Thakoon business model from wholesale to an omni-channel, direct-to-consumer stance. The store is an extension of Thakoon.com, providing access to a single global inventory and a seamless customer experience.

For the brand’s inaugural space—a 100-year-old former factory in SoHo—Thakoon partnered with Shawmut Design and Construction and long-time collaborator and friend, New York architect Giancarlo Valle from SHoP Architects.

The project began as a historical renovation, requiring reinforcement of a six-floor, landmarked, former cast iron building. Situated on the ground floor, the 2,500 sq. ft., double-height store façade is marked by nearly floor-to-ceiling stacked glass windows, which invite passers-by in from Wooster Street’s well-trodden cobblestones.

Once the building was reinforced, Thakoon’s vision for the 9,200 square-foot space quickly came to life. Work inside included hand-finished raw American white oak, resulting in a deceptively substantial timber structure, which has the illusion of lightness. The length of the walls was meticulously carved to create an unexpectedly soft, undulating effect.

To balance the warmth of the wood and create flow for each guest’s experience, Brooklyn-based Fernando Mastrangelo was commissioned for cast-in-place concrete fitting areas and rooms, which also serve as a subtle backdrop for the collection. Poured in small batches, each layer blurs into the previous, creating striations with a grounded, geologic quality. The effect is tactile, and invites guests to run their hands along the curved walls.

Shamwut installed London-based designer Michael Anastassiades’ dramatic, double-height lighting fixtures that brighten the space and bring in a sense of playfulness balanced with the classical.

One more thing: Thakoon Panichgul’s team will be working on site—upstairs in their own atelier. You can’t get any more direct-to-consumer than that, now, can you?