NEW YORK – 3.1 Phillip Lim’s 20th anniversary show at New York Fashion Week drew industry stars in support.
The front row was packed with A-listers from music to sports, acting to fashion: Alanis Morissette, Kyrie Irving, Nia Long, Tanner Adele, Daniel Dae Kim, Prabal Gurung and Rajon Rondo were among those who came together as Phillip Lim presented its Spring/Summer 2025 collection on Sunday, celebrating the brand’s 20th anniversary.
“Communities always form. It’s like like people gravitate towards what they’re attracted to. When I put out clothes, it’s like a signal to my flock,” Lim said backstage after the show. “And the people who are here have been here for a while. They come every season, and I’m grateful for that. So what you saw is a mix of our 20-year history.”
Fresh from her summer Triple Moon tour, Morissette arrived early to the show and posed for photos in a nondescript corner of the Meatpacking District venue, where she sat between Long and “And Just Like That” actress Sarita Choudhury.
Leon Bridges and actress Tika Sumpter had also arrived earlier, sitting in the same row as singers Fireboy DML and Destin Conrad.
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The NBA was in full attendance, including Dallas Mavericks star Irving, Los Angeles Clippers player P.J. Tucker and recently retired Rondo. Irving and Tucker were the last to take their seats before the show began, which the designer called “a delightful return to roots” in his show notes. Rondo also congratulated the designer backstage after the show ended.
Lim, who returned to the NYFW calendar last September with his first show since 2019, made his 20th anniversary year one of celebrating community: The designer’s “Intersections” installation in the spring paired clothes and accessories suspended from the ceiling with work by multigenerational Asian American artists, and joy was on the menu at Sunday’s show.
“Joy is in the air, folks,” Lim said. “I started this collection before the DNC and this great Harris-Waltz movement, and they’re using joy. I was thinking about this earlier this year, so it’s definitely in the air. It feels like big change is coming, and we need to come together and ignite joy and drive it to make this happen.”
The designer’s collection was a mix of edgy style and softness for Spring/Summer, going beyond the see-through looks and other seasonal interpretations seen on many of the runways this fashion week.
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The collection was ambiance-rich against an industrial backdrop. Light lace on skirts, tops and jackets blended beautifully with delicate feathers as they sauntered down the runway. Romantic tops contrasted with camouflage patterns on shorts and pants. Sequins and jewellery with tassels gave a breeze, while the open knit mesh on the clothes and bags gave a sense of airiness with an element of cool. Statement shirts bearing messages such as “Don’t cry tonight”, “Enjoy this moment” and “Always baby” underlined her 20 years in the fashion industry.
“It was a very personal collection. I just wanted to be myself,” Lim says. “I wanted to go back to what brings me joy, to why I started in fashion as a fashion designer and as an independent brand, where we could actually do something that made us laugh and allowed us to continue living our dreams. And that’s what you see today: a 20-year journey of the elements that I love.”
Lim also used the opportunity to shine the spotlight on his design team, bringing them out onto the runway after the finale to thunderous applause.
“It was important to congratulate the team because you never know what tomorrow is going to bring,” he said, adding that he wanted them to see the reaction from his perspective. “It was important for them to realize the magic they can put out into the world.”
