When you think of Phillip Lim, you can immediately imagine his 3.1 Phillip Lim fashion brand and the iconic pieces that go with it – the Pashli bag is sure to come to mind, a staple in street style for years. Lim received the awards for his success after winning CFDA awards for womenswear in 2007, menswear in 2012 and accessories in 2013. The Thai-born American designer of Chinese descent has recently joined industry leaders like Prabal Gurung, Chriselle Lim. and Curls Editor-in-Chief Michelle Lee to raise awareness of Asian hate crimes and have open conversations on Instagram Live to educate her followers.
“The fashion industry in America does a lot of subtle ‘otherness’ in categories like the Asian designers and the black designers. We’re all just designers, period.”
“I’m by no means an activist. I’m an Asian American who is now activated,” Lim said when I spoke to him about the important work he is doing on his platform. He continued, “I have often received messages from people suggesting that I should stay on my track as a fashion designer and that I shouldn’t mix my personal beliefs with work. However, I think it’s important to speak and Your value system with the customer to be shared. Gone are the days when we “let our clothes speak for themselves”. Everything is now connected. What is professional is also personal. The more we are our authentic selves and ourselves commit to doing this work for the common good, the more real change comes about. “Lim hopes the dialogue will lead to a constant shift in narrative in the fashion industry where our consciousness shifts and we create a standard for that what we as a society will no longer accept.
Pre-read our interview, which focuses on his critical representation endeavors, but read Lim’s basic insight into the world of fashion first and see it as an element of action. Most of all, let it stick with you: “The fashion industry in America does a lot of subtle ‘otherness’ in categories like the Asian designers and the black designers. We’re all just designers, period. We’re people with a story that stands out unfolded in our work. So we have to develop further by categorizing people as products of an old and tired system. “
