Thursday 19 February 2009

Roving Reporter : 3.1 Phillip Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim is one of the most successful brands in the fashion world. This season, he showed a small selection of menswear alongside his women's wear line.


50s-style checks and a pale, double-breasted tuxedo edged in black created a cool new twist on traditional men's suiting. There was a really cool New Yorker vibe to the collection and I can see A-list males such as Mark Ronson and Kanye West being fans of this fashionable offering.
Styled with leather driving gloves and flat loafers, these boys had an indie vibe all of their own and though there wasn't much in the way of menswear, the small selection is a good taster of what is yet to come from Lim's ever-expanding empire.

Monochrome tones showed sophistication and grown-up glamour. This layered tulle skirt references the cut-out detailing that we have been seeing throughout most collections this week.
Not many people have demonstrated a military theme, which is often popular for the winter months, but there were lashings of it at Lim. The beautiful button detailing and turned-up cuffs have classic style and beauty, showing that Lim's collections can work for a range of ages.


Lim's collection soon moved into the 70s as ankle-skimming bootcuts, became the trouser shape of the collection. Ruffle-front shirts in hot pink and caramel created a slight Austin Powers vibe, while models had a distinct bowl haircut. Fur and waterfall-front jackets made the inspiration for this pieces more poignant and while rather exaggerated were fun and flirtatious separates.

This dusky pink suit was a great tailored classic, a perfect piece of New York workwear. Though 70s in colour and cut, the strong shoulder line again fits in with what we have been seeing elsewhere this week.

Metallic, striped trousers, patterned shirting and oversized jackets had all the hallmarks of a vintage look. 3.1 has a huge following from the young fashion crowd and with the popularity of vintage dressing still very strong, I wouldn't be surprised if Lim has taken this an inspiration. The look was strongly hippy. However it is important to recognise the strong use of styling to create that vibe and not discount the items and singular commercially viable pieces.
The coat has fantastic kimono sleeves, which have been shown at various shows this week.

Bouncing about the decades, I got the feeling that Lim is driven more by creating beautiful items than he is by an overall theme. This sparkly dress will fit well with the continuing embellishment trend, but also strongly reference the Roaring 20s. A perfect red-carpet frock!

Playsuits have been all the range since last S/S. There have actually been fairly few showing for A/W09, with the only memorable ones so far being at Marchesa and Diesel. However with its popularity at an all-time high and women now getting into wearing what is effectively a romper suit, this is probably another sell-out piece. It has fantastic military overtones and its lack of fuss will make it a very versatile piece for the dedicated Lim fashion crowd.


Sequined jacket and fur cuffs! Could this be the most desirable jacket yet?! Lim's clothes always have waiting lists and re-orders for each season and I'm sure this one will be no different. I am particularly fond of this t-shirt dress, with fabulous rip detailing. Totally on-trend and I'm sure worth every penny.

Embellishment has been huge this week and Lim didn't let us go home without a bit of sparkle.
This beautifully sequined top was styled so well, with basic, waisted wool trousers and a military cape. This again references the idea of pared-down opulence and always wearing best. Designers are encouraging people to part with their cash by presenting beautifully detailed and versatile items that will last through the seasons, and lets be honest - we all want a bit of 3.1 in our lives.

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