Phillip Lim might have been born and raised in Southern California, but he’s a New Yorker through and through. When many of his neighbors downtown began fleeing the city in March, Lim made the decision to stay put and weather the storm at home. It’s perhaps why he describes the new 0.1
Capsule collection as “the opposite of escapism.” Lim is a natural pragmatist at the best of times and his latest offering reflects that spirit. He whittled down the collection by two thirds, creating a concise wardrobe of urban essentials that is primed for our new reality.
As we slowly emerge from hibernation, his new slimline, high-waisted track pants present a polished alternative to sweats; ditto for the slouchy extra-long board shorts. Lim is a wiz at layering and has the look of transitional, fashion-forward athleisure down pat this season with military-inflected quilted jackets and oversize pullovers cozy enough to be worn as outerwear. He’s nailed the shoe du jour as well: a fancy Teva-style sandal finished with ruched and embossed leather. Then there are the “simple pleasure” WFH pieces, including a sweet white knit cardigan that looks pretty great worn with nothing underneath.
Lim is by his own admission a bit of a control freak, and much like the rest of his, he’s learning that navigating the present moment is a constant exercise in letting go. He handed over creative direction and production of his look book to his friend the influencer and street style star Vanessa Hong who styled and shot herself in the new collection. That game of trust paid off: The resulting images of Hong casually lounging at home and taking turns around her Brooklyn neighborhood were grounded by a sense of the real that’s rarely seen in traditional fashion photography.
Indeed collaboration and community are fast becoming guiding principles for Lim who is looking for ways to affect change beyond fashion. He recently partnered with his friend and neighbor creative director Ruba Abu-Nimah on a series of tees and sweatshirts to raise funds for two New York causes: Thrive, a community art program for young people, and the Immigrant Justice Corps. The slogan? New York. Tougher than ever.
