For her second collection since taking the reins of 3.1 Phillip Lim, creative director Michelle Rhee is transporting her customer to the American Southwest with Georgia O’Keeffe as the template. 

“We’re very much addressing this urban woman. It’s everything from casual to evening to pieces for events,” Rhee explained during a walkthrough. “It’s really for her whole life.”

The range of pieces includes workwear jackets that lean in on Americana with oversized work shirts and dark blue denim jacket with silver stud details and white topstitching. Other moments played with mixed media — a theme the founder loved to explore. Here, Rhee refreshed the idea on different textured handkerchief wrap skirts with embellishments. Shirting came in mannish stripes but in an oversized silhouette that was decidedly feminine and styled with a folded skirt or in a powder pink shirtdress.

The Southwest came through in sky-colored ombré ruffled skirts styled over white wide-leg pants and green utility bomber jacket on top. Just like O’Keeffe helped usher in the American modernist art movement, Rhee is ushering a new day at the American brand that feels modern and current.