When Thakoon Panichgul introduced his HommeGirls zine in spring 2019, he told Vogue, “Fashion can feel overwhelming—I want to return to instinct. The key is staying true to what excites me.” Six years later, HommeGirls has evolved far beyond a zine. What began as merchandise sold directly to customers in fall 2019 has grown into full clothing collections and collaborations with brands like Kith, Vans, and Nike. In early 2023, the team even landed Kylie Jenner—defying expectations—for their Volume 9 cover.

As HommeGirls expands, so does its influence, but Panichgul remains committed to keeping things authentic. That ethos carries into the brand’s first-ever storefront on Walker Street in Chinatown, just blocks from its Broadway office. Designed by Rafael de Cárdenas, Ltd., the 250-square-foot space is intentionally minimal: a single clothing rack (a functional dry-cleaning conveyor), an Italian valet stand, and floor-to-ceiling mirrors that create an infinite reflection effect. Polished marble tiles nod to the brand’s Italian craftsmanship, while a magazine display showcases the latest issue—now featuring ads from Prada, Chanel, and Hermès, with seven different covers starring Jennie of Blackpink, Shygirl, and Natasha Lyonne.

“This isn’t just a retail store,” Panichgul explains. “It’s an outpost—a physical expression of what HommeGirls represents. This neighborhood is full of galleries, and I’m approaching it with that same mindset.”

True to its name, HommeGirls celebrates women who wear men’s clothing—though the designs are first fitted on men. “I could wear everything here,” Panichgul says, gesturing to the rack of cotton boxers, khakis with exposed waistbands, trenches, suits, and crisp poplin shirts. The aesthetic balances raw and refined: cropped shirts contrast with a classic trench lined in deep red twill, while a tuxedo jacket features delicately pickstitched satin lapels.

Women borrowing men’s tailoring is nothing new—think Dietrich and Garbo—but it’s having a moment. Recent New York Times and Financial Times guides on wearing men’s ties cite inspiration from Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren, and Emporio Armani’s Spring 2025 shows. HommeGirls has been cropping button-downs since its Kith collab (three years before Miu Miu), though Panichgul downplays any trendsetting role. “Young people don’t see men’s and women’s clothes as separate—they just shop for what they like,” he says.

Panichgul made his NYFW debut 20 years ago as a Harper’s Bazaar editor turned designer. Many peers from the mid-2000s have since faded from the scene, but he credits his staying power to diverse experience: production training, editorial work, a business degree, and over a decade designing his namesake label.

“You have to stay open-minded, test the system,” he reflects. “I came up in the traditional runway-and-retail model, but HommeGirls is about rewriting the rules.”Once you had those things in place, everything else followed. That was how my generation did it, but then everything changed completely. Now you have to evaluate the chaos and find opportunities within it.” This opportunity is at 112 Walker Street, opening next Thursday, April 24th at 11 a.m.

Here are some of the HommeGirls Volume 13 covers.
Photo: Victoria Hely-Hutchinson