3.1 Phillip Lim Resort 2009

As a point of inspiration, Phillip Lim imagined the woman who might best wear his mid-season offerings. Frankly, the designer couldn't have been more candid, as he said she would be, "young with an old soul". We think this best describes the transformation we're seeing from Lim as the seasons pass. From his flirty days at Development to his current collections, Lim's aesthetic has grown increasingly mature. His first few collections out of the gates (those that had every twenty-something dropping hundreds--even if it meant eating Ramen noodles for a month) consisted of 'fun and flirty' belted frocks and guazy blouses and the young fashionistas rightly ate it up. A few seasons later things turned out a bit more menswear inspired, a bit more rock n' roll, and we can't help but wonder if this wasn't Lim's subtle (or subconscious) way of weening us off the flirt-factor. Now, starting with Spring 08 and ending with this most recent Resort collection, we feel like Lim has hit his stride and positioned himself exactly where he wanted to end up in the first place. Namely, dressing a wealthy, and more conservative, customer. Sure, she could be in her twenties, but she certainly isn't the sort who also wears Ella Moss and LaRok (and she was before). Now, that is, she's the sort who wears brands like Marni or YSL and when she drops cash on vacation gear, she's not going to have to eat Ramen for the next month.