3.1 Phillip Lim AW15

Initial reaction:

The typically pulled-together Phillip Lim girl has developed a devil-may-care attitude. Now she’s enlightened: she grabs her favourite oversized military jacket, adds a quick smear of lipstick and shes out the door – ready to have a really good time.

The punk spirit:

A subversive energy coursed through the AW15 collection, with utility bondage straps wrapped over loose shirts, sculpted leather flight jackets, quilted sleeves, muscle tees emblazoned with “Resist the Image”, flat lace-up boots and a destroyed dress tinged with lace. The collection was youthful but wise in the knowledge that dressing up is not limited to a set of sartorial archetypes (suits, coats, a trench or a nice “lady” dress). With an added wink of humour, Lim incorporated a hint of “corporate realness” to his bags, using a big paper clip as decoration rather than a safety pin or a spike.

“Real Girls Get Wise, But Never Grow Up”:

This season, Lim aimed to challenge his own brand’s traditional pretty girl outline. “It’s fun to self-reflect and find ways within these confines to reinvent. The end rigour is in the character and in challenging the system we have built. When I look around today, pretty is boring and dare I say – it’s fake. I wanted this show to feel like the looks were instinctual; it’s about real girls, not objectification.”