When Thakoon Panichgul launched HommeGirls in Spring 2019, he wasn’t looking to flood the fashion space with another loud, logo-driven brand. In fact, he was aiming for the opposite. Speaking to Vogue at the time, he explained: “There’s a lot of loudness [in fashion], and what I want to get back to is instinct.

The way to do that is to stay grounded to what I feel excited by.” That sentiment not only laid the foundation for HommeGirls as a zine but also shaped its eventual evolution into one of the most influential fashion-media hybrids of the last decade.

Six years later, HommeGirls has grown far beyond its indie zine origins. It’s now a burgeoning fashion label, a creative studio, and a cult movement—all culminating in a major milestone: the opening of the first-ever HommeGirls storefront on Walker Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Situated just blocks from its office on Broadway, the location feels both strategic and spiritual. It’s low-key, off-the-beaten path, and perfectly suited to a brand that has always thrived outside the typical fashion system.

We stepped inside the new space before its grand opening to get a feel for how HommeGirls translates its editorial DNA into brick-and-mortar experience. What we found was not just a retail environment—it was a tactile manifesto of Panichgul’s vision.

A Brand Built on Instinct

To understand the significance of the store, it’s worth looking back at what made HommeGirls different from the beginning. It wasn’t just about fashion—it was about attitude, gesture, and feeling. Inspired by women who dressed with masculine ease and didn’t need traditional femininity to assert their power, the zine felt like a breath of fresh air in a fashion world overrun by artificial polish.

When the clothes debuted later in 2019—initially conceived as DTC “merch” for the zine—they struck the same chord. Oversized shirting, slouchy suiting, tomboy tailoring, all informed by men’s silhouettes but designed for women who didn’t see femininity as a costume. It wasn’t about androgyny or genderless basics. It was about commanding presence with ease.

As the line grew, so did its reputation. Collaborations with Kith, Vans, and Nike followed, helping bridge the brand from niche editorial darling to crossover cultural player. And in early 2023, HommeGirls landed Kylie Jenner for Volume 9, a playfully subversive move that placed one of the world’s most hyper-feminized icons in HommeGirls’s signature oversized menswear and stripped-back aesthetic. The moment sent shockwaves—and clearly, the brand was ready for its next chapter.

A Chinatown Storefront, Designed for Editorial Living

Nestled in Manhattan’s Chinatown—a neighborhood whose edge and cultural crosscurrents mirror the brand’s own sensibilities—the new HommeGirls store is not your average retail space. Located on Walker Street, the store doesn’t scream its name in neon. There’s no flashy signage or theatrical displays. Instead, the space opens quietly into a world of tactile contrasts and curated tension.

The interior design reflects a clean, editorial mindset. Industrial elements like exposed concrete floors and steel fixtures sit comfortably alongside warm lighting and plush textures. The racks are minimal, not overcrowded. There’s space to move, breathe, and look—a deliberate decision that reinforces Panichgul’s belief in shopping as a sensorial experience, not a transaction.

Clothes are treated like art pieces—displayed with the kind of reverence you’d expect from a gallery. You’ll find structured blazers hung on floating racks, paired effortlessly with oversized poplin shirts or long tailored shorts. Everything carries the HommeGirls signature: structured yet fluid, tomboy but soft, polished but undone.

One corner of the store is dedicated to archival zines and coffee-table reads. Another features a rotating selection of accessories—leather loafers, silk neckties, and hardware jewelry—all designed to complete the HommeGirls uniform without overt branding.

More Than Merch: The Clothes Speak Louder Now

If HommeGirls clothing once started as merch, it has now evolved into a fully realized ready-to-wear collection. Pieces like the classic white oxford shirt—cut long, with exaggerated cuffs—have become staples. Trousers are high-waisted and voluminous, draping like slouchy armor. Outerwear walks the line between businesswear and rebellion, sometimes oversized, sometimes cropped, but always clean and confident.

The new store stocks both current collections and limited-run exclusives—including one-off items designed specifically for the Chinatown location. Think specialty colorways, store-only suiting cuts, and collaborations with local artists and designers. This approach gives the space an element of surprise. No visit will be quite the same.

The Community Vision

For Panichgul, the store isn’t just about selling clothes—it’s about creating community. Events are already in the works: zine launches, styling workshops, and conversations with creatives in fashion, photography, and culture. The space is designed to host intimate gatherings where people can talk about ideas, not just aesthetics.

“I wanted it to feel like an extension of the magazine,” Panichgul has said. “Not in a literal way, but in energy—somewhere instinctual, somewhere you want to hang out and discover something unexpected.”

This editorial-meets-retail ethos is rare in today’s fashion landscape, where many storefronts serve as glorified fulfillment centers for online sales. But for HommeGirls, the store is a statement: a living, breathing extension of the brand’s DNA.

Editorial Cool, IRL

Ultimately, the HommeGirls store is the physical embodiment of everything the brand stands for. It’s not loud, but it’s far from quiet. It’s refined, but never uptight. It doesn’t just sell clothes—it sells a perspective. One where femininity is powerful, masculinity is flexible, and instinct matters more than algorithms.

By opening a storefront in a neighborhood known for its layers of history, its collision of cultures, and its ever-evolving energy, Panichgul is anchoring HommeGirls in a real-world context. It’s not just fashion theory anymore. It’s fashion practice—off the page, onto the street, and into closets.

Impression

As fashion continues to evolve in the digital age, with drops, likes, and scrollable shopping dominating the landscape, the HommeGirls store offers something more lasting: a space with soul. It’s a reminder that fashion is not just about what we wear, but how we live—and that the best style starts from instinct.

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