style.cominterview with Phillip Lim
I check style.com everyday I get on the internet. Today was a great treat to see an interview with a favorite designer of mine, Phillip Lim. He's a CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist, along with an amazing line up consisting of Thakoon, Doo-Ri, Rodarte, and Costello Tagliapietra to name a few. Style.com will be posting these interviews throughout the month and i'll post my faves here. These designers are the future of fashion and are extreemly exciting.
(Here is Lim himself and his showroom waiting area)
The former designer for Development, this 33-year-old from the O.C. has quickly built a following on the strength of his pretty yet cool, beyond-basic clothes. With his seventh collection in just over a year under his belt, he spills for Style.com.
how would you describe your clothes?
Classic with a sense of madness.
what was your big breakthrough?
Pulling off the spring show. It was my first, and it was amazing. To see these real, beautiful, professional girls walking out like fluttering butterflies into this sea of people, I thought, "Is this us? Is this for real?"
who is your favorite designer, living or dead?
It's definitely Dries Van Noten. I just love that he's such a die-hard romantic. From the invitation to the refreshments at the show, the whole thing is such a dream.
what is the best trend of spring 2007?
For me, it's white. White, white, white. It's all about that freshness, the innocence, the naiveté.
what's the worst fashion faux pas?
Leggings worn as pants without covering the middle portion. Only a girl like Kate Moss can get away with that. One girl in the world, and that's it.
what was your worst look?
Polka-dot socks. With shorts. It was back when Wham was big. You know: shorts, vest, polka-dot socks.
what is your greatest inspiration?
My mother.
chanel or elsa schiaparelli? and why?
I love both, but I'd have to say Chanel. She was always modern, always stylish, but with a wicked sense. She had such a rebellious attitude, and I love that.
what would you be if you weren't a designer?
I'd love to work in a flower shop. I feel like I have a good hand for that. I'm always arranging things.
in what specific areas of business would you invest the $200,000 cfda/vogue fashion fund award?
Additional staff. And I'd put more into a marketing budget. Grassroots marketing. We can't advertise, but we could propose trunk shows, things like that.
if you didn't need the money for business, what would you do with it?
I'd be sitting in it. Not literally. I'd be sitting in a Porsche. I never dreamed of being a designer, but I've always wanted a Porsche 911. I've been fixated on that car since age seven. I'm crazy about it.
The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund makes annual awards to up-and-coming designers to enable and encourage the recipients to pursue their business plans. Previous winners include Proenza Schouler and Trovata. This year's finalists are 3.1 Phillip Lim, Costello Tagliapietra, Devi Kroell, Doo.Ri, Jovovich-Hawk, Marchesa, Rag & Bone, Rodarte, Subversive Jewelry, and Thakoon. Between now and November 16, when the winner is announced, Style.com will be publishing a short Q&A with each of the finalists.
—Joanna Rodger
Phillip Lim's 3.1 Spring 2007 RTW Collection was FAB-U-LUS!!! I want everything. I posted on it when it debuted, but the post got all wacky and I had to delete the whole thing. So here is
3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2007 RTW Part II:
"Working almost exclusively in white, with a few shots of navy, as well as a colorful floral, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist proved that he's not only a romantic—handmade rosettes decorated a T-shirt dress—but also an accomplished tailor.
Lim can do simple, as demonstrated by a pair of high-waisted, pleated slacks, but he can also do complex: the crepe de chine blouse paired with those pants came with delicate sleeves of pleated tulle.Lim has a knack for combining the dressy and the casual—take a cotton voile strapless bell dress paired with a men's leather pilot vest, for instance; or a girlish jumper with an attached bodice made of sequins. Is it day or evening? His clients couldn't care less. More so than most young designers working today, Lim knows how fashionable women want to dress. – Nicole Phelps " style.com
"The appeal of his pretty-but-cool clothes is that they don't try too hard" style.com. Here is a peek at his small but inspired Fall 2006 RTW Collection.
(I think the simple grey blouse under the navy velvet jacket is pure perfection.)
(a close up of this dress reveals great detail that seems to be Lim signiture)
There is much more to this collection so please take a peek at it here.
