3.1 Phillip Lim

Origin: 2005, New York, USA

Designer: Phillip Lim

Fields : Menswear (Womenswear, Kids)

Biography:

Phillip Lim was born in Thailand, in 1973 to Chinese immigrants (Phillip’s father is from Hunan and mother is from Canton) who then fled to Southern California to escape Cambodia’s civil war, where his mother found work as a seamstress and his father became a professional poker player. While his mother has clearly had an early influence on his ethos, Lim didn’t fantasize of being a designer. Lim studied finance for three years at California State University of Long Beach, where it became evident that Lim was sitting in the wrong classroom and he found himself switching to a degree in home economics.

Whilst unpacking boxes at a weekend job at Barneys in Beverly Hills, Lim came across the name of a designer called Katayone Adeli’s. Lim had his own career epiphany: he would call Adeli’s office and ask to work for the designer. Despite not knowing what a portfolio was, he got himself an internship and eventually through his innate talent and tenacity, a position with her design team. When Adeli relocated to New York, Phillip Lim remained in the Los Angeles area and co-founded his first label, Development. After four years at Development, Lim, 31, departed to launch his most personal collection to date with business partner and friend, Wen Zhou, also 31. This meant switching coasts to New York, where he now works and resides in Soho.

Phillip Lim debuted his eponymous brand, 3.1 Phillip Lim, in the fall of 2005, bucking the ostentatious runway trends of the time, his line of youthfully elegant wardrobe classics with a twist, was an instant sensation and adored by critics , fashion editors and customers alike. Widespread recognition of Lim’s talent and accolades quickly followed, including the award for the 2006 Fashion Group Internationals Women’s Designer ‘Rising Star and the 2007 CFDA Swarovski Award in Womenswear. After only five years , Lim as creative director and co-founder of 3.1 Phillip Lim, finds himself at the helm of a pioneering contemporary brand- designing women’s, men’s , kids, accessories, shoes, underpinnings – making him one of the most talented and successful young designers today.

Style:

3.1 Phillip Lim’s raison d’être is providing an approachable designer experience with beautiful everyday classics accented with touches of madness. The result: cool, easy, chic looks for men and women that embody youthful elegance and personal style – has won the brand cult status in the contemporary fashion world. Lim says, “3.1 is about clothes that refine instead of define. A refinement that’s a bit classic in attitude, but imparts a sense of individual style, without looking or feeling forced. Confident, unidentifiable, chic and most of all effortless.”