3.1 Phillip Lim has tapped Michelle Rhee as head of design.
As reported, cofounder and creative director Phillip Lim departed last November, and the house transitioned under the sole leadership of cofounder and chief executive officer Wen Zhou, who has been behind the brand for more than two decades.
As 3.1 Phillip Lim embarks on its 21st year, Zhou said the brand is not reinventing but returning to its roots. It is “3.1 re-rooted,” Zhou said. She noted that the evolution underscores the house’s values of resilience, community and the Asian American creative spirit.
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Rhee’s background includes design roles at a variety of designer and contemporary brands. Since 2023, she has been the creative director and founder of her own eponymous brand which she will continue. Before that, she was senior designer of ready-to-wear at Area and a women’s ready-to-wear designer at Derek Lam 10 Crosby, prior to which she was an assistant designer of women’s ready-to-wear at Marc Jacobs.
Rhee, who came on board in April, will debut her first collection for 3.1 Phillip Lim with spring 2026. She worked in close collaboration with the current design team and will present the collection as a look book. She oversees the brand’s ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories businesses.
“The next era is deeply personal,” Zhou said. “3.1 Phillip Lim will continue to be led by Asian American women across both the creative and business sides, reflecting the values that have always been at the heart of the brand.”
Rhee said, “3.1 Phillip Lim has always stood for a modern elegance that feels effortless, yet deeply meaningful — a balance of strength, softness and cultural resonance. I’ve long admired the brand’s ability to shape the way people express themselves through clothing, while staying true to its roots in community and creativity. As I step into this role, I feel honored to carry forward that heritage and excited to imagine what the next chapter of 3.1 can look like — one that continues to celebrate resilience, identity and beauty of everyday dressing elevated.”
3.1 Phillip Lim began in 2005 formed from a friendship between Lim and Zhou. They became pioneers in the contemporary space, serving up cool, easy and chic wardrobe essentials.