Phillip Lim is stepping down from his role as creative director of namesake brand 3.1 Phillip Lim, according to a Wednesday Instagram post from the designer.
“It has been an adventure of a lifetime, one that has given me the endless wonderment of creativity, introduced me to my found family/community, taught me invaluable lessons in humility and humanity and ultimately reinforced values that i will carry with me into the next chapter,” Lim wrote. “For now, please know that I remain grateful to you and everyone whom has supported me both near and far. I hope we made a difference together and had some fun along the way.”
The privately owned 3.1 Phillip Lim brand debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2005, and was co-founded by Lim and Wen Zhou, the company’s current president and CEO, when both of them were 31 years old.
In his Instagram post, Lim included a screenshot of an article announcing his departure in WWD. That story included a joint statement the pair shared exclusively with the publication.
“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 statement reads. “As the brand moves into a new chapter, we are so proud of what we have built and the strength of genuine community around us. Our shared vision and hard work has allowed us to stay independent and achieve remarkable success in a constantly changing and challenging industry.”
The company’s website calls the pair “pioneers in the accessible luxury space,” and notes that since its inception, the brand has expanded its offerings to include womenswear, menswear, accessories and footwear. It has retail stores in the U.S., China, Japan and South Korea, as well as an e-commerce site.
Lim’s spring-summer presentation during New York Fashion Week in September is the designer’s final show for the brand, and a successor has not been named.
