(Lim's Studio, Photographed by Greg Kessler, Courtesy of The New York Times)
With his Resort 2013 collection, Phillip Lim's team achieved the impossible: A beautiful, wearable collection conceived and executed in only 20 days. Resort is often the overlooked child on a designer's calendar, ironic because it hangs in stores the longest, but Lim understands its importance. Despite the time crunch this is a thoughtful, fully realized collection.
As a woman who doesn't often get to escape, I appreciate the urban sensibility found here. And that's no accident: Lim focused on utility with a twist inspired by his own fire-escape garden. His name for this, as he told both The New York Times and Style.com, is "floutility" and it describes the collection perfectly!
The soothing, neutral color palette is emphasized with pops of sky blue and peach but the real revelation here has to be his choice of fabrics. If you're not a fan of floral prints you're sure to be inspired by his lacquered leather "Flirt" skirt, whose shape closely resembles a drooping flower petal. Phillip told Vogue, "It's about adding blooms to utilitarian forms."
(Can you see the skirts blooming?)
Of course if you like flowers, Lim has provided plenty in different forms, like the raffia flowers embroidered across tops. There were also floral patterns scattered throughout the collection but look closely and you'll see that some resemble aerial views of the city and others take the shape of animal prints!
(I'm seriously lusting after this orange bag!)Despite the stark shapes, there was a lovely fluidity to the collection and Lim still employed what he does best: liquid like draping. But I was seriously enamored of all of his accessories, especially the shoes. They seem like a fresh take on the gladiator sandals that seem to pop up every two summers.
The only misstep to be found had to be the leather overalls.
Yeah, leather overalls.
Seriously, Phillip?
(Pictures all courtesy of 3.1 Phillip Lim unless otherwise noted)
