Carol Lim
Born (1975-02-20) February 20, 1975
Los Angeles, California, U.S
NationalityAmerican
LabelOpening Ceremony
SpouseMatthew Killip
Children2

Carol Lim (born February 20, 1975) is an American fashion designer, retailer and creative director, who works in partnership with Humberto Leon.

She founded the fashion retailer Opening Ceremony in 2002 in Lower Manhattan. Further stores followed in New York City, as well as in Los Angeles and Tokyo.[1] An Opening Ceremony store opened in 2012 in London, coinciding with the Olympics.[2][3]

In 2011, Lim was announced as creative director of the French high fashion brand Kenzo, which was founded in 1970 and is part of the LVMH luxury goods conglomerate.[4] In 2019, Lim and Leon exited Kenzo to focus on Opening Ceremony.[5]

Early life

Carol Lim is the daughter of Korean parents. Born and raised in the Los Angeles suburbs.[6] After graduating with a degree in economics in 1997, Lim worked in the corporate sphere, including a spell with Deloitte, before moving to New York and becoming a merchandise planner for Bally.[7][8]

Career

At age 25, Lim went on a trip to Hong Kong, where she inspired to open a store. Its concept was to bring brands such as Havaianas and Topshop to the United States and to feature then-emerging American fashion brands such as Proenza Schouler, Alexander Wang, and Rodarte.[7] She went to the New York State Small Business Development Center at SUNY for assistance in refining their business plan and obtaining a business loan, and each contributed $10,000 of their own money towards Opening Ceremony.[9][10]

Opening Ceremony features a rotating assortment of brands from different designers and is known for its collaborations with brands and personalities such as Pendleton, Levi's, Timberland, Keds, Robert Clergerie, Chloë Sevigny, and Spike Jonze. The stores also feature Opening Ceremony's eponymous brand.[11]

In July 2011, Kenzo parent company LVMH announced the appointment of Lim as co-creative director of the brand.[4] Lim debuted her collection in 2012:[12] It was inspired by upstate New York and the painter Ellsworth Kelly.[1]

Lim is a member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America and an advisor at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan.[9]

Personal life

Lim is married to British filmmaker Matthew Killip; the couple have two daughters.[13]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Zarrella, Katharine (April 2012). "Carol Lim". Interview Magazine. Retrieved May 6, 2015.
  2. ↑ "Opening Ceremony". Time Out. 22 October 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Lowe, Jack (January 2012). "Opening Ceremony Opening London Store". Huh. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  4. 1 2 Elliott, Hannah (July 12, 2011). "Opening Ceremony Duo to Kenzo". Forbes.com.
  5. ↑ McCall, Tyler (June 14, 2023). "Carol Lim and Humberto Leon Exit Kenzo After 8 Years". Fashionista. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
  6. ↑ Yuan, Jada (September 26, 2010). "Downtown for Sale". New York Magazine.
  7. 1 2 Levy, Ariel (18 August 2010). "The success of Opening Ceremony". Elle. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  8. ↑ Amed, Imran (11 February 2014). "Carol and Humberto Say "Everything Came From a Personal Point of View"". Business of Fashion. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  9. 1 2 Hazel Clark (May 15, 2015). PARSONS FESTIVAL: Carol Lim and Humberto Leon in Conversation with Hazel Clark.
  10. ↑ Rubin, Julia. "Opening Ceremony's Founders on How They Built An Empire". Vogue, Teen Vogue. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  11. ↑ Kennedy, Alicia; Stoehrer, Emily (2013). Fashion Design, referenced. Beverly, MA: Rockport Publishers. p. 272. ISBN 9781592536771.
  12. ↑ Mistry, Meenal (October 2, 2011). "Spring 2012 Ready-to-Wear Kenzo". style.com. Conde Nast. Archived from the original on 2015-05-02.
  13. ↑ Emma Allen (March 13, 2017). "The cool kids behind opening ceremony". The New Yorker. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
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