It’s no surprise that the luxury fashion team at Phillip Lim had only 20 days to put the brand’s Pre-Fall 2012 Collection together, seeing as the designer creates four women's and men’s collections each year— quite the ambitious (and exhausting) task. Crunched for time, it only made sense for Lim to reference something familiar in his latest line, so he chose none other than his beloved comic strips that clearly lent quite a bit of inspiration. In his Pre-Fall 2012 collection, we see superhero-esque fashion for the mighty women that make up today’s society.
While there were some fun and quirky elements (graphic tees, anyone?) to this line, the bulk of it was made up of the mature and minimal slim-fitting pants, sleek jackets, ribbed knits, and tailored coats that have become Phillip Lim’s signature look. Lim’s main concern here was— appropriately— transformation, motivated by the designer’s infatuation with the modern woman’s chaotic everyday life. It’s for this reason that we see adaptable pieces like blazers that zip off at the waist to offer two jackets in one and a chunky sweater that doubles as a scarf when its arms are slung around the neck. Pieces like these should help women easily transition from work, to carpool duty, to the ever important happy hour.
Accompanying his theme of transformation, Lim does a play on duality, including elongated silhouettes in many of his outerwear pieces. The long cuts of the jackets create the appropriate illusion of a shadow-like effect that mimics how villains are portrayed in retro comics. Dark versus light has a large role in this collection, with many pieces that lay the contrast of black and white in linear patterns. The battle of hard versus soft can also be seen, most notably in the sharp, pointy toes of delicate pumps.
One ensemble in particular clearly channels the iconic look of Carmen San Diego— form-fitting red slacks cropped just above the ankle paired with the comfort of a sweatshirt in the same hue with an added yellow stripe down the sleeve. Nothing says Carmen San Diego better than her signature red and yellow outfit, except of course her portfolio bag and signature shades that Lim also included in this look. The bag features contrasting colors of black and red in leather with a fold-over flap and double zip closure. And don’t forget the stylish bootie with the chunk heel that is essential to globe-trotting — or running errands.

To view the full collection, visit PhillipLim.com.