Cambodian-American fashion designer of Chinese ancestry, Phillip Lim, has an estimated net worth of $12.5 million. The son of Chinese immigrants, Lim grew up in Orange County, California, watching his mother work 18-hour days as a seamstress in a garment factory. He made a name designing clothes women coveted. Lim is the owner of 3.1 Philip fashion label. It is projected to have sales of $60 million  in 2011. Lim launched his collection with start-up cash from friend and fabric supplier Wen Zhou in 2004. Almost overnight, his line became both a critical and commercial darling. Lim’s coveted dresses were quickly spotted around town on "It" girls Natalie Portman and Kate Hudson, fueling demand upwards of $12 million wholesale by his third season. Lim was born 1973 in Thailand.