3.1 Phillip Lim for Target
3.1 Phillip Lim is one of our favorite contemporary designers. His cuts are sleek but figure friendly, and his details are unexpected and cool. We were pretty happy to hear about his collaboration with Target.
Of course, the eternal question with these designer capsule collections is "Can they make it work for under $100?" This is also were modern designers flounder. A design that works perfectly in a lux wool may not lay correctly when done in acrylic yarn. Intricate beading may look cheap when sewn by machine not by hand.
So how did 3.1 Phillip Lim do? Well, this doesn't feel like a collection so much as scraps of ideas. We have a nice suit, party dress, work wear, and casual attire, but nothing ties together. The broken floral and comic book prints are much more interesting than the off-color animal print. (None of those prints should be in the same collection.) The tailored pieces like the tux dress or contrast trim trench coat work better than the baggy sweaters. Low-end baggy sweaters aren't interesting; they are common. Even so, the simple blouses and plain skirts aren't exactly anything that stands out.
Top: contrast trim trench $80
leopard blouse $40
faux leather sheath dress $50
Bottom: tuxedo dress $45
floral shirt dress $40
BOOM print sweatshirt $30
What do you think of 3.1 Phillip Lim's collection for Target?
Of course, the eternal question with these designer capsule collections is "Can they make it work for under $100?" This is also were modern designers flounder. A design that works perfectly in a lux wool may not lay correctly when done in acrylic yarn. Intricate beading may look cheap when sewn by machine not by hand.
So how did 3.1 Phillip Lim do? Well, this doesn't feel like a collection so much as scraps of ideas. We have a nice suit, party dress, work wear, and casual attire, but nothing ties together. The broken floral and comic book prints are much more interesting than the off-color animal print. (None of those prints should be in the same collection.) The tailored pieces like the tux dress or contrast trim trench coat work better than the baggy sweaters. Low-end baggy sweaters aren't interesting; they are common. Even so, the simple blouses and plain skirts aren't exactly anything that stands out.
leopard blouse $40
faux leather sheath dress $50
Bottom: tuxedo dress $45
floral shirt dress $40
BOOM print sweatshirt $30
What do you think of 3.1 Phillip Lim's collection for Target?
Comments
I got the BOOM sweatshirt. I'm a happy nerd too. My store didn't stock any accessories (or they were sold out when I finally got there).