MODEST [ TGF INSIDER ]
Robb Lim, the creative behind a Philly clothing company - MODEST, gave us the inside scoop on his beginnings and ACtivist mission moving forward.
ROBB LIM
SO tell us a little about yourself
My name is Robb Lim, owner and founder of MODEST, a clothing company based in Philadelphia. I am 24, born and raised in Maryland. I originally came to Philly to play basketball for PhilaU, I eventually ended up at Temple University to finish up my degree at Fox Business School.
How did you get started with Modest Philly ?
A huge void needed to be filled in my life when I stopped playing basketball; that was all I knew from middle school-freshman year of college. I was always business minded, so I started thinking to myself how can I turn my hobbies to a business. I always appreciated fashion, in my opinion fashion is the most obtainable form of art. The outfit you choose is an extension of yourself, from rocking Jordans to Chanel purses, fashion speaks for the individual. Currently I use MODEST as a medium for self expression and a vehicle to impact my community directly.
Do you have a team or is it strictly solo?
Not until 3 months ago did I decide to bring on partners. Our co-owner is Domonique Rose and our production director is John Obendorfer. Dom has been a lifelong friend to me, we are basically blood. John has become one of my closest friends in Philly, he is a solid guy first and foremost but his background in interior design will be a huge asset to MODEST for our pop-up installations. Aside from Dom and John we are EXTREMELY fortunate to work with some amazing creatives in Philly who play just an importantly role: Photographers - Mike Chaney and Ian Shiver Videographer - Joel Bernstein Graphic designers - Neil Spencer and Zela Khiangte.
What is your Mission with Modest Philly?
This is a loaded question, but to keep it short and sweet - our mission is to be purposeful with everything we do. There is a very apparent saturation of brands/art that seem to have no purpose, whether its just playing trends or super abstract art, here at MODEST everything we do is with purpose.
Chosen 300, an amazing non-profit that focuses on feeding Philadelphia’s less fortunate, is embedded in our DNA. $5 from all apparel purchases and 10% from all accessories goes to Chosen 300.
Our Supper Club Project is our greatest achievement thus far. The purpose is to start an organic conversation with the younger generation about local food. The end goal is educate my demographic about cooking and utilizing local produce/resources. We do this by partnering with someone in the food industry, so far our list includes: La Davisa Meats (locally sourced butcher-shop), Bassetts Ice Cream (America’s oldest creamery), and Condiment (America’s first small-batch condiment shop.) At each Supper Club we showcase our partners product and drop a limited edition piece of apparel. Art is installed and we run a canned food drive for Chosen 300.
What is coming next for you business, What does the future look like ?
We are now looking for stockist and looking to bring our Supper Clubs to other cities. Our future looks bright, we have been extremely blessed to have such a great community in Philadelphia that will help us succeed.
We need to keep setting the bar higher for Philadelphia in general, we have been underdogs for too long now. In the next 5 years Philadelphia will be leaders in the creative community.
