Wen Zhou
President and CEO
3.1 Phillip Lim
At 31, Wen Zhou founded her third company and became CEO of 3.1 Phillip Lim. With her friend, the designer Phillip Lim, they pioneered a cool, easy, chic style that paved the way for an entirely new market and redefined the modern luxury space in the fashion industry.
3.1 Phillip Lim’s prescient wardrobe essentials are synonymous with an understated elegance that speaks to today’s global citizens on the go. Equally important to the brand is the company’s commitment to social change and sustainability, reflected in special projects, campaigns, and collaborations.
As a co-founder and sole investor in the privately held 3.1 Phillip Lim, Wen took on the roles of President and CEO from day one and scaled the business from a 5-person team to its current position: a company with an international footprint, including online, offline, and experiential marketing. The brand offers womenswear, menswear, footwear, and accessories with offices in New York, Tokyo, Shanghai and distribution centers worldwide.
Wen has trailblazed — from embracing inclusivity on the runway as early as 2007 to cultivating meaningful collaborations, including Maya Lin designing a sustainable fashion show; the Brooklyn Nets celebrating Lunar New Year; a three-year “at leisure off-court dressing” with Fila; sustainable material innovation with Volvo; and clean beauty with Aveda. These partnerships represent a model for building communities and actively promoting culture. Most notably, Wen and Phillip leveraged their global audience during the pandemic to raise awareness and money for AAPI nonprofits. Wen thrives on a double bottom line — balancing her business acumen with her passion for sustainability and social causes.
Wen demonstrates her soft power by mentoring young female leaders and investing in BIPOC-owned startups. Additionally, she has chaired the Apex for Youth Gala the last four years, raising more than $10M+ in total, and co-founded the Taste of Asia Festival (2021 $1.2M raised, 2022 $1.6M raised), an outdoor Asian food community event welcoming 100+ chefs to Madison Square Park for a joyous celebration of culture in the heart of NYC.
Born in Ningbo, China, Wen arrived in NYC at 12 and settled in Chinatown. In true entrepreneurial style, she juggled jobs at a fast food restaurant and garment factory while attending high school. After two years at FIT, at 21, Wen independently founded a high-end fabric import company Aegis Group and never looked back. Her dynamic, witty, personable, visionary leadership style has drawn accolades, including BOF500, EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and “Top 60 Most Influential Chinese-Americans” by Forbes China.
3.1 Phillip Lim’s prescient wardrobe essentials are synonymous with an understated elegance that speaks to today’s global citizens on the go. Equally important to the brand is the company’s commitment to social change and sustainability, reflected in special projects, campaigns, and collaborations.
As a co-founder and sole investor in the privately held 3.1 Phillip Lim, Wen took on the roles of President and CEO from day one and scaled the business from a 5-person team to its current position: a company with an international footprint, including online, offline, and experiential marketing. The brand offers womenswear, menswear, footwear, and accessories with offices in New York, Tokyo, Shanghai and distribution centers worldwide.
Wen has trailblazed — from embracing inclusivity on the runway as early as 2007 to cultivating meaningful collaborations, including Maya Lin designing a sustainable fashion show; the Brooklyn Nets celebrating Lunar New Year; a three-year “at leisure off-court dressing” with Fila; sustainable material innovation with Volvo; and clean beauty with Aveda. These partnerships represent a model for building communities and actively promoting culture. Most notably, Wen and Phillip leveraged their global audience during the pandemic to raise awareness and money for AAPI nonprofits. Wen thrives on a double bottom line — balancing her business acumen with her passion for sustainability and social causes.
Wen demonstrates her soft power by mentoring young female leaders and investing in BIPOC-owned startups. Additionally, she has chaired the Apex for Youth Gala the last four years, raising more than $10M+ in total, and co-founded the Taste of Asia Festival (2021 $1.2M raised, 2022 $1.6M raised), an outdoor Asian food community event welcoming 100+ chefs to Madison Square Park for a joyous celebration of culture in the heart of NYC.
Born in Ningbo, China, Wen arrived in NYC at 12 and settled in Chinatown. In true entrepreneurial style, she juggled jobs at a fast food restaurant and garment factory while attending high school. After two years at FIT, at 21, Wen independently founded a high-end fabric import company Aegis Group and never looked back. Her dynamic, witty, personable, visionary leadership style has drawn accolades, including BOF500, EY’s Entrepreneur of the Year, and “Top 60 Most Influential Chinese-Americans” by Forbes China.