THE COMEBACK OF PHILLIP LIM
Photographed after his first runway show in four years on Bowery and Canal Street, Phillip Lim exudes joy as he has made a triumphant comeback to Fashion Week.
By Christy Kioko
September 26, 2023
Phillip Lim photographed outside moments after his show on Bowery and Canal Street. By Dalton Wafula
Our photographer/videographer Dalton Wafula got an iconic shot of Phillip Lim as he exited his show September 10th show located on Bowery and Canal Street, his first runway show in four years.
According to Vanity Fair, “Lim told WWD in 2019 that he needed to ‘think about the act of joyful creation again.’” This year he told CFDA that “through the pandemic, we used the time to take a step back, reflect, and decide how we want to show up," said Lim. "Who is 3.1 Phillip Lim today? What do we stand for? What is our uniform? In the four years away from the runway, I branched out, focusing on new personal projects, new vehicles to explore other parts of my creative process." It must be noted that it was also during the pandemic that he became an advocate against anti-Asian hate and hate crimes. Now, the brand is making a strong approach to the representation of holistic beauty, with the SS24 collection “setting a tone” that aligns with the brand’s core values and looks that transcend age, gender, and race.
Lim’s return to the runaway sends a beautiful message to designers and creatives worldwide to remember that sometimes it’s okay to take a step back to discover new things and to find new inspiration to make the creation process joyful. ✨
The show was star-studded with celebrity guests, including YG, Tinashe, Leon Bridges, Hayley Williams, Jenna Dewan, Coco Jones, Karrueche and many more. When Dalton went to check out the drama, he found himself taking candid photographs of the guests as they came and went and was the last one standing when Phillip Lim and his family stepped outside the building. He met Lim briefly, saying “This man was so humble. It was just him and his family—it was such an honor to be one of the only photographers to have gotten a shot of him after the show.”
Pictured are a few of his guests as they entered the show in their “New York Uniform”, as the Spring/Summer ‘24 collection draws inspiration from “the ever-evolving tapestry of New York”. Many stars posed for the camera, happy to show off their outfit—one being YG, who specifically asked that he photograph his shoes.
