“It’s kind of autobiographical,” Phillip Lim said about his spring lineup, calling it his “version of the new America.”
“I was playing with the idea of old blue-blood lineage, Ivy League athletic clubs and militia uniforms,” he explained backstage before the show, which turned into a spirited celebration of sporty chic.
Lim checked all the boxes of the season: slouchy silhouettes, sleeveless vests and utility jackets, hitting home the image of a new American dandy.
Handsomely oversize shirts replaced commonplace jackets for a new kind of suit. The designer also took to athletic double-breasted numbers, rendering them in traditional banker stripes. Pajama looks in silky materials felt luxurious and street-friendly at the same time, while multipocket utility outerwear got an update via botanical prints.
Throughout, the designer walked the line between cool and cordial with bravado, exemplified by his series of high-waist, boxy pants, featuring belts of the same fabric.