3.1 Phillip Lim Fall/Winter 2011 RTW

I had planned to do reviews on Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, Hermès, Valentino and Chanel, but with Fashion Week being over and me getting a bit busier, I'll be wrapping up my Fashion Week Marathon.  At the request of Fashion Cappuccino, 3.1 Phillip Lim will be among the last of my reviews.  Phillip Lim is a label that I have heard of for a long time now, but have never really taken a close look at.  So I'll be doing this review without much prior knowledge of his previous collections.  It wasn't hard to see, however, that this collection was all about American sportswear.  The key to any successful sportswear collection is the infusion of luxury, and Lim did just that with delicious leather pants and sleeves (leather accents are a huge favourite of mine):

From here, it was loose-fitting, but precisely tailored pieces, and a mixing of two or more textures in each outfit.  I like the tying of shirt sleeves and collars around the neck as they were a unique take on scarves, but the capri pants (second and fourth photo) I found were too slouchy, yet at the same time, fitting to be attractive.

The whole loose top with a smartly tailored jacket thrown overtop, and cropped trousers stayed strong throughout the entire collection, but it was varied with prints, different colours, lamb fur, and a dash of sparkle.

As the show finished off, looks were made evening-ready with a glossy sheen:

Luxe American sportswear has been done many times over, but Lim managed to give us some modern pieces with a twist.  Belted cropped trousers have become very popular lately (I wouldn't mind getting a pair myself!), and it's good to see Lim continuing to give us some nice options.  There were some pieces better left unmade, such as the long, shapeless camel coat, and the slouchy capri pants, but overall, it was a collection made for any busy urbanite.

Watch the entire show here.

Image Source: Style.com