What’s on Phillip Lim’s TiVo? You could make a pretty good guess based on the collection he debuted today: Downton Abbey, perhaps, and most definitely The Muppet Show. Muppets most def because Lim copped to that one up front: At an appointment this morning, he took not a little delight in pointing out the Muppet-y texture of his bouclé coats, and the color palette cribbed from Gonzo and Big Bird and Kermit, and the graphic motif that was, it turned out, a play on Elmo’s laughing mouth. The Muppet thing wasn’t readily apparent in these clothes, until you went looking for it, but it was a nice element to know about—if only for fun’s sake. And, as Lim noted, shouldn’t clothes be fun?
Downton, on the other hand, was only a guess, got at via this collection’s many winks at English country house culture. There were equestrian elements, like button details and jodhpur-like leggings, and riffs on upper-class casualwear such as field coats and khakis. Lim cleverly played the at-leisure aesthetics against ones that struck a dress-for-dinner note, making ample use of a silk foulard print, romantic ruffles and lace, and glitzy lamé. Sometimes the motifs were mixed within pieces, as in his terrific lace-trimmed slip dress paneled in ribbed knit, or his silver lamé trench coat, the collection’s indisputable must-have item. Many of the silhouettes here were an update from Spring, such as the backless ruffled bomber, and the paper-bag-waist pants; what felt fresh was Lim’s emphasis on easy-to-wear, trans-seasonal dresses. That emphasis marked a return to form for Lim, who was known for his dresses when he started out. Ten years on, his take on the dress has evolved—the best versions had an air of unraveled elegance one does tend to associate with the aristocracy. Lim fans with or without country piles will be pleased. Indeed, even Elmo would be tickled.
