Fashion Designers Who Understand Women's Bodies - O's Style Awards
The fashion stars on these pages represent a new generation with a new attitude—for them, there's no conflict between uncompromising style and wearability.
O, The Oprah Magazine | From the May 2008 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine
Photo: Brian Doben
|
Lim was just 31 (hence the company name) when his label launched in 2005, and success has been swift—last year he won a Council of Fashion Designers of America's Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent. There's a lovely restraint to his clothes that appeals to many women. "I never think in terms of age, class, or race. My line is more about kindred spirits," he says. Why You'll Like His Look The thoughtful details "Dresses have functioning pockets," says Wen Zhou. "Trenchcoats have belts that button on so you don't lose them. Jacket linings are silk because they're easier to slip on." An accommodating fit Lim shapes all of his clothes on "a real woman with hips and breasts," making sure to build in "a little give and take." His pants are considerately high-waisted rather than unforgivingly low-slung, so that you don't have to worry about flashing skin when you move around—no gapping. Smart cuts "His clothes are very body-conscious but not revealing or overtly sexy," Zhou points out. "The shoulders are higher and narrower so that you look alert and not sloppy." There's nothing crazy The sophisticated lines of his designs are up-to-date yet not so trendy that they're in danger of being in fashion one day and out the next. Lim once described his style as "classic but twisted." |
