Phillip Lim admitted himself, that starting the menswear collection as part of the brand 3.1 Phillip Lim was partly a selfish venture. Making clothes to dress yourself is no bad starting point especially when a debut collection is as considered and well thought out as it is. Whilst being loosely inspired by the beatnik movement, broken down, the collection was full of staples with a twist; loose-fit lambskin tees, shirts with gathered yoke detailing, jackets with hand pick-stitch detailing as well as brogues and boots with detachable ankle strap for those that yearn for stylish subtlety in menswear. We spoke to Lim about what prompted his menswear quest and how the open plan house set for the presentation came about.

Dazed Digital: Obvious question, why at this point have you decided to launch a menswear collection?
Phillip Lim: You know, at this point, I was tired of ignoring myself and ignoring 50% of the population! Menswear has gotten so out of touch or very extreme. That's not reality. I know so many amazing stylish guys where it's all about subtleties. They're not victims, but they're not a bore!
If you don't fall into preppy, athletic, full-on rock n' roll, then no one can identify and that seems ridiculous to me.
That's why this collection is based on the beatnik movement. There were poets, writers and artists and they would come together and new ideas were born and they tried to disarm the traditional sense of masculinity.

DD: How does the menswear collection relate to your womenswear collection?
Phillip Lim: They're kindred spirits. It's the classic sense of madness that they both share!

DD: What made you decide to present it in this built house set?
Phillip Lim: I wanted transparency and vunerability. What is more vulnerable than someone's home. We built this house where friends interact and there's an intimacy to it.

DD: You've also done accessories like bags and shoes straight away? What prompted that?
Phillip Lim: My personal desire! It's all about the details. You could have on the most simple grey jersey outfit and then it's the bag, the colour of your socks and details like that make the difference. Men are collectors and they are very discerning and they can go 'there' without showing it all.