Alice Yim's Spring/Summer 2013 Collection + Her Inspiring Interview on Becoming a Fashion Designer!

Designer Alice Yim and me 

Visiting Alice Yim’s showroom in New York was such a delightful experience. I had a chance to meet the lovely Ms. Yim, preview her new Spring/Summer 2013 collection and chat about her life as a fashion designer.

For Spring/Summer 2013 collection, Alice was inspired by rain and the vibrant colors of spring florals. The use of abstract and water color prints lead to a whimsical and feminine collection that is meant to seamlessly transition from office to weekend getaway. In fact, Alice is known to acquire much of her inspiration from nature whether it’s elements from the ocean, moonlight or the resulting spectrum's of colors.

The ‘Alice Yim girl’ carries her fashion foundation from season to season with a minimalist, classic, feminine and edgy approach to design.

Check out Alice's inspiring interview on becoming a fashion designer, her new collection, personal style and much more! 

1. Tell me about your journey to becoming a fashion designer?

When I was very young, maybe 5 or 6, I was watching a runway show and I turned to my mom and told her "I wanted to do that". My mom teased me and said "What, you want to be a model?" and I said "No, I want to be the one that dresses the models". So 14 years later, I went to Academy of Art University in San Francisco and majored in Fashion Design. That's how my journey began. After I graduated I moved to NY and worked for Michael Kors, as well as other fashion companies. In 2007 I started my own line.   

2. What was your inspiration for the new SS13 collection?

I drew inspiration from summer rain and the vibrant colors of spring florals. The use of abstract and watercolor prints leads to a whimsical and feminine collection that can easily be transitioned from the office to a weekend getaway. 

3. Which fabrics did you work with for this collection?

Lots of silk, some cotton, leather trims and laces.

4. The Alice Yim girl according to your philosophy is someone who never requires being the center of attention but gracefully makes her presence known. Can you tell me how she achieves this by wearing your collection?

Besides the bright prints, the collection is very subtle. A lot of girls overdress to compensate for their insecurities, but the Alice Yim girl is confident and enjoys the simplicity of our designs. It's like Coco Chanel said: "Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance."

5. How would you define your personal style?

I guess my style is effortless chic. I love wearing vintage and comfort is often key. Of course I wear a lot of my own designs, as they are very simple and comfortable.  

6. Where can we find your collection? 

At boutiques nationwide, including Pamela Gonzales SoHo, Skiffingtons Boutiques in Southampton and Rhode Island, Nicole Kwon in Dallas, Farasha pop up boutique in various locations and Mania Mia in London. We also sell on various platforms online, including our own shop at aliceyim.com.