Life after 3.1: In conversation with Phillip Lim

Just a few weeks ago, Phillip Lim shocked the world when he announced that he would be moving onto his next big adventure. The Asian-American designer’s departure from his eponymous label, 3.1 Phillip Lim — which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary — left many in the fashion industry in suspense, especially following his mysterious final words: “See you in chapter three.” Lim, who was born in Thailand and is of Chinese heritage, co-founded the label in 2005 alongside Wen Zhou. The New York-based brand has long been celebrated in the industry, with sample sales in the city typically packed. Its offerings range from stylish, dependable jackets and relaxed tailoring for daily wear to luxury streetwear and classic investment accessories. Last week, Lim was in Hong Kong to attend the city’s Fashion Fest and speak at the event’s Fashion Asia Forum. We caught up with the esteemed designer to discuss his design philosophy, life after 3.1 under U.S. president incumbent Donald Trump’s return to the White House, and why he prefers to be known simply as a “designer.” Jing Daily: What is your title nowadays? Phillip Lim: I think in the moment that we live in, everything is so complicated, and everyone has such big titles. And for some reason, the titles have overtaken the actual know-how. For me, I want to get back to how I started… going back to craft and skill and going back to the basics is very important. JD: Is going back to the basics part of your creative approach? PL: How I got to this place was just through this desire to make, to create, to design, to take this abstract idea in your mind and then make it into something tangible that people could wear and put on. It’s no secret that I’ve stepped away from my namesake brand I’ve established for 20 years. And now it’s nice to just refresh and start again. Taking all the learnings and all the experiences and trying to take a moment to reimagine what’s next for me. And part of what the next journey is? Going back to the beginning, going back to basics. JD: Congratulations. PL: Thank you. Twenty years — it’s been quite a journey. Looking back, time went by so fast. But also the moment that we established the brand, I think hopefully we made a dent. We added to fashion history. JD: How did you recognize the need for change, and what does shifting your role mean to you? PL: If you break it all down, we’re in the industry of change, right? The whole premise of this industry is that we change our clothes. And we use clothes to change our persona. Persona changes our trajectory, the trajectory changes kind of where we end up… Sometimes, when you stay too comfortable, you become afraid of change. You hang on to things that don’t really serve you anymore. You trade this instinct of change for a title, a cushiony job, something that’s so familiar, and to me that’s the antithesis of fashion. So I want to enter a new chapter — playing again, imagining again, being curious again, not feeling like a prisoner in the history of what we built and what people think I am. This whole journey of building the brand was a huge masterclass. And I, at the end of this masterclass, decided to graduate and leave the classroom. Now I get to reimagine what my next chapter is. JD: Given the current state of the world and all the changes happening — including, for example, the return of Trump next month — would you say this new chapter for fashion reflects broader shifts in society? PL: I think everything adds up to the overall narrative. I don’t think anything is isolated in a global world, even though the forces seem to be fighting globalization right now. I think the big question that we’re all approaching is — how is this sustainable? How do we, as players in the industry, as creatives or business folks, contribute to the betterment of the fashion industry? Or else, are we contributing to the race to the bottom? It’s about a conscious awakening of, “How do I want to participate in this next chapter?” JD: You spoke about abstract ideas and playing and imagining earlier. Does that inform your creative process? PL: Yes, absolutely. I don’t forget to play. I think that play is the purpose of how we all arrived here, right? We pursued this idea of playing, then we created an opportunity. My advice to aspiring creatives is always trust your instincts. Because as designers, as creators, as makers, you’re born with this natural ability or natural instincts. And there’s no one way of defining success. It’s about how you choose to define it. JD: As a multicultural Asian-American designer, what is your current definition of success? PL: As the son of the immigrants, I share your story. I’m sure we all share that story, coming from Asian culture. Our parents, lovingly, just want the best for us, but through their lens, the idea of what is successful as a career is very narrow — doctor, business person, something corporate and rigid. I think that we all enter the world through that lens because it’s our parents, but then after a while we have to realize that success comes in all forms. It could be anything you imagine. And the secret is, it’s your imagination. For me, personally, fulfillment is success. It’s not just about achieving a bigger business, more publicity, more whatever. It’s not about that anymore. It’s about realigning with my authentic self and finding fulfillment again in the creative process. JD: When it comes to APAC and Asian-American consumers, what might their needs be? PL: It’s so funny because it’s becoming more casualized, looser and looser. The cultural aspect of the Asian consumer is not so defined anymore because of globalization, technology, and travel. There’s been an opening of not only geography but minds and hearts. Whether you’re Asian Canadian, whether you’re living in Asia — ultimately, you want the same thing. In the end, you want clothes that make you feel good. You want something that you discover, that you feel like speaks to you. So I don’t believe in this idea of “this length is only for this customer” or “that material is only for this customer.” I feel like that’s a very archaic way of compartmentalizing and boxing the potential of the audience. And so, besides paying respect to cultural nuances, at the end of the day, it has to speak to the consumer. I think that’s the most successful approach and one which has the most impactful resonance This interview has been edited and condensed for brevity and clarity. Jing Daily presents Jing Masterminds — a regular, exclusive interview series profiling today’s most iconic names in art, fashion, commerce and culture. Delving deep into their personal journeys, creative processes, business strategies and societal impacts, the series offers readers an intimate look at the lives and minds shaping our industries.

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Life after 3.1: In conversation with Phillip Lim