Phillip Lim

3.1 Phillip Lim's 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 Phillip Lim 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."

Phillip Lim was born in Thailand, in 1973 to Chinese immigrants who then fled to Southern California to escape Cambodia's civil war. Growing up, Lim didn't fantasise of being a designer. During a weekend job at Barneys in Beverly Hills, Lim had a career epiphany. Despite not knowing what a portfolio was, he got himself an internship with Katayone Adeli 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. Finally at 31, Lim 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 2005 to instant success, both critically and commercially. An inaugural presentation of the Fall '05 collection kicked off New York Fashion Week in glowing reviews. In January 2006, Fashion Group International awarded Lim first place in the Women's Designer 'Rising Star' category. In July, he Council of Fashion Designers of America and Vogue magazine nominated Lim as a finalist for the prestigious 2006 Fashion Fund Award. In 2007 Phillip Lim received the honour of winning the 207 CFDA Swarovski Award in Women's wear, as well as a finalist for the Fashion Design Award of Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. In June 207 Lim also opened his first free standing 3.1 Phillip Lim store in New York City. The brand is now available in over 50 countries and 400 boutiques and department stores including 4 flagship stores.

Within only 5 years, Lim as creative director and co-founder of 3.1 Phillip Lim found 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. The company's vanguard vision of designer clothes at contemporary prices has established itself as a respected business model and is seen as a revolutionary force in the industry.

Website: www.31philliplim.com

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