(Photo: Firstview)

Andreas Melbostad of Phi
Phi—a small, New York–based fashion label backed by Susan Dell (wife of Dell founder Michael)—has struggled to find itself. Its first seasons were off-key for an American sportswear label, with dark, aggressive styles and ham-handed tailoring. But two seasons ago, Norwegian-born creative director Melbostad softened the lines but kept enough edge to make it interesting, and Phi coalesced around a real point of view, commercially viable but with personality. This spring’s clothes are clean and sharp, although there are still occasional trend stumbles—harem pants will probably never gain a great retail following, but Melbostad’s nicely detailed slip dresses and jackets will.

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Hometown: Oslo.
Favorite city: New York.
Person alive or dead you’d most like to see in your designs: Marlene Dietrich.
Favorite song: “New Dawn Fades,” by Joy Division.
Favorite artist: At the moment I am very interested in the work of Richard Lindner.
Color you can’t resist: Black.