It was a slightly surreal scene backstage at the 3.1 Phillip Lim men's show: the merry Lim clan (Phillip included) were all suspiciously calm, serenely touching up models' slicked-back ponytails, standing around and chatting with arms crossed. No running, no shouting, no last-minute fiascos. "It's always like this," says Store Director, Esteban Gomez. "It's always easy." Surely, this is the rare calm that accompanies astronomical sell-through percentages.
But the chill backstage 'tude didn't adequately prepare us for the intense showing that followed. "Fall 2010 is all about bringing the wild into the city, and how adventurous the city itself really is," explained a cheerful Lim. "We go on adventures in the city every day."
His rabble of urban adventurers--sporting greasy low ponytails and a bit of pink blush--stalked down the runway like warriors going into battle before disappearing up a steep, UFO-esque incline. The collection, featuring a mix of workwear staples (denim, duck cloth, canvas, shearling) and rugged accents (spikey leather gloves, wrap-around shades and, oh yes, shin-guards) successfully balanced the experimental without crossing over into "costumey" territory. Also of note were the oversized black watches--a collaboration with fine watch makers, IWC.
If you're not just a stylish New York male seeking sidewalk flare, we felt this would be the perfect wardrobe to have in case of an End-of-Days scenario--or maybe just a fashionable emergency.
