Asian Designers Make an Impact in Paris fashion week - 3.1 Phillip Lim

PARIS — Asian designers, whether home based or in the fashion diaspora, are making an impact in the opening days of the Paris men’s 2012 season.

Phillip Lim, the Cambodian-American designer based in New York, was smart to come to Paris to show a 3.1 Phillip Lim collection that was simple but laced with the conceptual.

Displaying fresh white tailoring, knits with a graphic jigsaw pattern and a herringbone tweed coat worn under a semi-sheer organza jacket, Mr. Lim succeeded in countering the culture of casual.

But instead of the back-to-suits concept that has dominated the season, his aim was to create “elegant youth,” embracing the idea that dressing up is today’s counter culture.

So Mr. Lim took traditional men’s wear pieces but tilted them in a different direction: pants rising high with a knotted belt, the vest as a generous sleeveless jacket, a black leather blouson with skinny pants cropped below the knee. Mr. Lim talked about 1960s influences from rude boys to punks but he made his men look like a band of guys for 2012. (source: NYTimes)