PEOPLE Native
Phillip Lim on a stroll through Noho. “I like to keep to myself while walking,” he says. “You lose observation when you’re in a conversation.” below: Signage for one of his favorite streets.
Urban Renewal
HOW NOHO SERVES AS RESPITE AND CREATIVE CATALYST FOR DESIGNER PHILLIP LIM. Fashion designer Phillip Lim will come full circle when he opens his second—and largest—boutique in New York this month. The 3,500-square-foot space is located on a quiet stretch of Great Jones Street in Noho that, coincidentally, is one block from where he landed his first job with contemporary womenswear designer Katayone Adeli in 1997. In the years since, Lim has launched his own highly successful label, one that’s put a quirky, modern twist on sophisticated tailoring and won him accolades from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (not to mention a loyal following among such style influencers as Diane Kruger and Elle Fanning). The world around Lim is, of course, what sparks his imagination. “I’ve always been a visual person,” he says. “I’ll look at something that everyone has, but maybe cut the proportions down, or get it large or small, to make it more personal.” His is a design philosophy that rests on the belief that “it’s your eye, CONTINUED ON PAGE 68
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GROOMING BY MARK EDIO AT SEE MANAGEMENT
BY KARI MOLVAR PHOTOGRAPHY BY ERIC RYAN ANDERSON
PEOPLE Native
Lim says he finds Noho “an oasis of urban charm.”
“BOND AND GREAT JONES STREETS HAVE MAINTAINED A BOHEMIAN AURA AND MYSTIQUE.” —phillip lim your hand, and what you do with it that counts.” Here, Lim gives us a personal glimpse of Noho through his own eyes, as he takes us on a walking tour. “Right after school, my first job in the industry was with Katayone Adeli. I would design from Los Angeles for her flagship store in New York, and now that same spot is the location of my favorite furniture store, Modernlink. It feels comfortable and natural to be back in this neighborhood. When I was first here, it was still rough. When Katayone opened, I thought, Oh, what are you doing here? But even though the area is lined with beautiful buildings now, I like that it still feels protected, and that the businesses are so varied. On my days off, when I spend time in the city, I always walk down Bond Street and Great Jones Street. For some CONTINUED FROM PAGE 66
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reason, these two streets have retained a bohemian aura, a mystique you don’t find in other parts of the city. Just strolling around, you can still look up and wonder: Who lives behind these walls? I normally keep to myself when walking. You lose observation when you’re in conversation, so I stick to myself, and I don’t meet too many people, except shop owners that I’ve become friends with. William Lee at Modernlink has got me addicted to collecting furniture, and specifically masterpieces by cabinetmakers. The first crazy-big piece I bought was a black leather settee with a rosewood frame designed by Ib Kofod-Larsen; that’s so rare to find. And now he’s reupholstering this 1940s sofa for me in shearling, done in Denmark all by hand, down to the tacks. I love furniture and view it in the same way I see clothing. You live with and grow this
intimacy with it. It’s like when you put on a dress or sit in a piece of furniture, and it’s just right. You know the person who made it understood you. I’ve also been going to Paula Rubenstein for years. I love the way she curates. It’s really random and eclectic. Behind her store, she has amassed a collection of textiles that you wouldn’t know about unless you asked. I found beautiful Navajo blankets there that I put around my apartment in Soho. I always frequent Bohemian, a Japanese restaurant in an alley that’s across the street from our new shop. In the front, there’s a Japanese butcher, and you’re like, What is this doing here? To get in, there’s a buzzer, and I don’t even think they have a phone number listed. They make this martini with olives infused with barbecue sauce that’s the strongest martini you’ll ever have because they produce their own gin. It’s like moonshine. I always order the green chili sliders and branzino. Il Buco is amazing for tapas. Try to sit in the wine cellar, which has maybe three tables, but you’ll be sitting among some great wines. For fall, I’m into Chardonnay from Rombauer Vineyards. I buy art books at Dashwood Books. You go in not knowing what you’re looking for and come out with something you need in your life. I never used to look at art when designing, but at the same time, my whole life is surrounded by it. A little way down, there’s Mile End Delicatessen, which has the most amazing hot dogs; they’re kinda like haute hot dogs and are so satisfying. I also order their iced tea and roast beef sandwiches. I love that you can go there any time of the day and it’s never packed or with a crazy waiting situation. Where I live in Soho is wall-to-wall with people at midday. Here, it’s like, Wow, I can find parking. I can cross the street without someone honking at me, or about to run me over. Nights and weekends are the same way. These streets are somewhat desolate and vacant, and I love that. There is this kind of abandoned feeling here, and no other place in the city that will give you that space. It’s an oasis of urban charm.” G
WALKABOUT
Phillip Lim’s go-to neighborhood spots. BOHEMIAN, 57 Great Jones St. DASHWOOD BOOKS, 33 Bond St.,
212-387-8520; dashwoodbooks.com
IL BUCO, 47 Bond St., 212-533-1932; ilbuco.com MILE END DELICATESSEN, 53 Bond St.,
212-529-2990; mileenddeli.com
MODERNLINK, 35 Bond St., 212-254-1300;
modernlink.com
PAULA RUBENSTEIN LTD., 21 Bond St.,
212-966-8954; paularubenstein.com