Cool, modern, and decidedly feminine, Phillip Lim’s award-winning clothing never fails to drive our staff into paroxysms of excitement. True to form, the selections in our 3.1 Phillip Lim sale provide loads of the fashion-forward inspiration on which he’s built his name. Find out five fun facts about the icon-to-be (trust us!) below, and don’t miss the 3.1 Phillip Lim sale on Gilt.com, February 3 at 12pm ET.

1. The son of a seamstress and a professional poker player, Lim embarked on a major in business at California State University at Long Beach, but eventually decided to embrace his fashion dreams and switch to a major in home economics that included courses in sewing, nursing, and nutrition.

2. In 2005, after 22 seasons as creative director and co-founder of the Los Angeles-based women’s clothing line Development, he launched his own label, 3.1 Phillip Lim (named so because he and his business partner, Wen Zhou, were both 31 at the time) at New York Fashion Week. Almost overnight, the line was a critical and commercial success, with celebrities such as Kate Hudson and Natalie Portman wearing his flirty frocks around town.

3. Lim has called model Irina Lazareanu his muse. In May 2007, the pair arrived at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala in his-and-hers tuxes (hers was a thigh-high coatdress). Lazareanu was also his date for that year’s Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards, where he took home the Emerging Designer prize.

4. After mastering the art of women’s clothing, Lim branched out: In 2007, he started Kid by Phillip Lim and also designed a collection for Uniqlo. In 2009, he launched Go Green Go, a line of organic clothing. And after high demand, he finally launched his first collection of men’s wear in 2010. One of the most lauded items? Machine-washable canvas coats and suits.

5. Lim now has flagship stores in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, and Singapore, and his designs are available in over 400 boutiques and department stores worldwide. In September, Gilt.com teamed up with the designer for an amazing Fashion’s Night Out event at his beautiful Los Angeles store.