NEW YORK — Phillip Lim’s return to the runways in September was a triumphant moment for him, as his company has emerged stronger from the pandemic with a clear sense of purpose.
“It almost felt like if you can document this whole process from March 13, 2020, to now, and what culminated with the show, it’s like a universal triumphant story,” said Lim, in an interview at his offices at 18 East 16th Street in New York.
Having almost lost the entire company, Lim and his business partner and cofounder Wen Zhou, chief executive officer, spoke about how they survived the pandemic, the specific steps they took to hold on to the business, their return to New York’s runways, and how they’re rebuilding their fashion company with purpose in mind.
Taking a reporter through the first days of the pandemic, Lim recalls those days in March 2020 when they shut down the business to secure the safety and health of their team.
“I remember March 13, 2020, because it was the day after we decided to shut down operations for the safety of our team. I rode my bike to the office [Brookfield Place] to make sure it wasn’t just a bad dream. The streets were deserted. It is very surreal looking back. It was the beginning of the world changing. It was a few days after I went to speak on CNN about the burgeoning scapegoating of the AAPI [Asian American and Pacific Islander] community, which led to assaults that were escalating dramatically and tragically.”
Lim and his team were working on the pre-spring 2021 collection, and there were pins and notes and everything stuck there midway. “We just stopped it all. Everyone was in shock. We had to make this executive decision. Let’s regroup a couple of weeks later, but for now, let’s hunker down,” he recalled telling his team. He said they had to deal with the employees, some of whom didn’t want to come back and others who had to be let go. Lim also had to deal with store leases and…
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