NYFW Runway Report: Phillip Lim Trots Out His Bag of Tricks

While other designers point to a theme, a muse, a decade, a country, and so on as inspiration for their collections, Phillip Lim, never one to take things all that seriously, described his 3.1 Phillip Lim fall/winter €™08 collection as merely an evolution from the one before- not about a "look," but rather, "A mixed bag of tricks." This bag of tricks translated to - as the designer noted - "Silent volumes - the idea of a quick glance without a word exchanged€¦and left with only thoughts to linger."

This collection was definitely marked by increased maturity- from the refined blouses, to the granny dusters, to the ladylike tea dresses, to the fancy hats, to the cable vests, to the rich fabrics such as heavy wool and plush velvet- wasn't too much of stray from previous ones- the looks were all super-wearable, high-class cool, and subtly sexy- signature of the brand that will definitely keep younger fans happy.

There were loads of layers, unlikely pairings (think cocktail dresses with professor sweaters), odd volume contrasts, unique cuts and shapes, an array of looks from the muted, simple and classically chic to those which were statement-making, bold, and dramatic. Even though the way these looks were assembled wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I saw individual pieces in each look that I can't wait to pick up and interpret in my own way- a sentiment I'm sure is shared by many and one which will allow Lim to continue riding the massive wave of success.

Stylehive Scorecard
Color Palette: Blue, Heather Gray, Navy, Ivory, Gold, Black
Cuts/Styles: Piles of Layers, Slouchy Silhouettes, Form-fitting Dresses and Skirts, Unexpected Pairings, Masculine/Feminine contrasts
Celeb Sighting: Anna Wintour, Ally Hilfiger