3.1 Phillip Lim // Men's Fall 2012

...the most inspired Men's Collection of the entire season, in my opinion. Phillip Lim, of 3.1 Phillip Lim, has been consistently incredible season after season. But perhaps I'm biased, because Lim seems to embrace an aesthetic that is also my opinion of ultimate style; so I've come to recognize his work as the epitome of such. However, regardless of what I think, anyone who has any semblance of knowledge in this industry will agree that Lim's superior forms; in taste, simplicity, and uniqueness, is almost unmatched in the Men's world. 

3.1 Phillip Lim Fall 2012 Men's Runway Show from 3.1PhillipLim on Vimeo.

Razor cut and bold, Phillip Lim continues to make some of the most beautiful outerwear I've ever seen. Crisp whites that anchor sugary accents of turquoise and blue (spring colours!), as well as deep aubergines and scarlets (not unlike the palette of his Women's Collection of the same season) dominate this year. His knitwear is simple in texture and colour, but bolder and more interesting in shape. His leather vests are cut like trenches, but are shoulder-fitted to perfection; while the smallest details, like his elongated, wrap belts and bright red shoes, take the entire aesthetic to a whole new, creative level.

The thing about Lim that amazes me the most is his ability to create. Season after season, from Fall to Spring, from Men's to Women's, Lim manages to spearhead trends with incredible accuracy all while maintaining the ripest expression of his style. He manages to take classic, simple shapes that have worked and will always work, because they are eternal, and just tweak them in the slightest manner, and yet, unexpectedly so. A transparent mesh of mint over an overcoat, a textural vest over a trench, or a graphic pattern into an exaggerated clutch - made for women, adopted for men (I love it!).

Phillip Lim continues to change Men's fashion while maintaining it's powerful integrity. He creates pieces with lastability though they are creative-looking; new but old, in a sense, all the while celebrating his version of what style is. Because of this, and because of his uncanny ability to tie in palettes, shapes, and textures to create a fantastic unity between his Men's and Women's trends, he is unlike any other designer in the industry. Mr. Lim, you had me at ombré <3

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