Thakoon's collection: red leather, lipstick, heels

NEW YORK — Red leather, red lipstick and shiny red high heels were on the runway for the Thakoon fall collection that debuted Sunday during New York Fashion Week.

Thakoon Panichgul, a favorite of first lady Michelle Obama, designed a line heavy with bright neon colors and rich materials. Panichgul mixed the refined, like a black satin sleeved dress, with the modern — a striking red and orange print he calls "neon beam."

In a nod to the 1980s, Panichgul paired a fuchsia fur knit sweater with a raspberry patent skirt that had a paper bag waist. He ruched red leather at the biceps and waist for a dress and used a hearts-and-lips print for a jacquard bomber jacket.

The collection was filled with outerwear inspired dresses, from a black satin tuxedo jacket dress to a crinkled deep blue trench coat dress. High-waisted trousers in a pinky-red were embroidered with silver peacock feathers. Panichgul accentuated collar bones, putting wide horizontal stripes across the top of dresses.

His eye for detail showed with basketwoven leather panes of material added to the front of dresses and back of coats.

It attracted Hollywood celebrities like Kyra Sedgwick to the front row. The actress said she discovered Thakoon clothing at a boutique in Los Angeles.

"I love color," Sedgwick said. "I like bold statements mixed together with things that are less bold."