Phillip Lim Is Leaving Phillip Lim

Just two months after a joyful 20th anniversary runway show, Phillip Lim is stepping down from 3.1 Phillip Lim, the label he co-founded with Wen Zhou in 2005. Lim is said to be pursuing other opportunities, while Zhou will continue on as CEO.

In a joint statement, the two wrote, “It is with great respect and gratitude for each other and our long partnership that we have decided to part ways at 3.1 Phillip Lim.” The brand may be moving in a new direction, but they reiterated how proud they are of what they’ve built and the community they’ve surrounded themselves with. “Our shared vision and hard work has allowed us to stay independent and achieve remarkable success in a constantly changing and challenging industry,” they continued.

For the past two decades, Lim has designed easy pieces that were built for living and reflected the attitude of the city where he’s made his home. Two seasons ago, when he made a triumphant return to the New York Fashion Week calendar, he got emotional backstage and told me, “The brand was born in New York. New York birthed us. New York raised us. New York times taught us big lessons.”

To end their statement, the pair wrote, “From the very beginning, our goal was to create something meaningful, and along the way, we realized we could also inspire positive change, champion creativity, responsibility and collaboration. We are incredibly proud of the impact we’ve made for the past 20 years and for that we will be eternally thankful.” Ask anyone in New York and they’ll tell you Lim more than accomplished his goal as they anxiously await his next move.