Derek Lam (Q2903)
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Derek Lam is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Derek Lam |
Derek Lam is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
2002
fashion designer
2003
designer
Is it a risk to abandon the runway? Do the lost social media impressions make a difference to a business’s bottom line? The data analysts and marketing specialists would probably say yes. Yes! But Derek Lam’s real-life experience is so far proving the opposite. Fall is the designer’s second season off the runway and as vital a collection as he’s ever made.Lam is a specialist in American sportswear, though he has at times turned to ornament in his 15-year career. There were no distractions here. Instead, he doubled down on elaborate, yet still minimal patternmaking and luxurious fabrications, many by the Italian textile-maker Loro Piana. The collection had swagger to spare, accentuated by the substantial platform boots, slides, and ankle-strap pumps the models sported. (Note: Platforms are one of Fall 2019’s first trends.)The standout pieces were cut from cotton canvas and linens in varying shades of khaki, with confident cuts: a trench and poncho with trapeze volumes, a tailored asymmetrical sarong. His more conventional tailoring experiments resulted in unusual, but equally boss shapes: A padded navy wool coat was double-breasted with strong shoulders and raised pockets; there’d be no messing with the woman who wears it, especially if she accessorized with his shield sunglasses.Elsewhere, Lam renewed his commitment to earth-friendly practice and fabrics. He showed a long-sleeved shift in supple, non-chromed white leather, which means fewer harsh chemicals were involved in its making than with typical leather treatments. And he used a compact knit black ribbed eco-viscose for a sleeveless number that was snug through the bodice. Fabrication and silhouette meant these dresses were compelling both close-up and at a distance, but neither of them were really Instagram looks. Too subtle. Lam’s clients will be perfectly fine with that.
9 February 2019
Derek Lam opted out of a runway show this season, but he’s designed a collection worthy of attention. Explaining his approach at a showroom appointment this afternoon, he said Spring is a moment when his customers are looking for individual items—“uplift for their wardrobe,” he called it—and special-occasion clothes. There were no surprises here—Lam’s American sportswear codes are well-established—but there was novelty.That novelty came first and foremost in Lam’s use of color: the vibrant pink of a slouchy viscose crepe pantsuit, the bright magenta of a cotton party dress and a softly structured trench, the stop-you-in-your-tracks yellow and cobalt of scuba knits. Though he did have neutrals, too. The slouchy pantsuit will be popular in tan linen, ditto the belted shacket and matching wide-leg, pegged pants in soft washed denim. Though they don’t get much love in this lookbook, Lam is expanding his eco-fabric offering, using organic silk and cashmere, as well as viscose yarns from certified renewable forests. He says there will be more along those lines in seasons to come.As for special-occasion clothes, Lam kept the palette black and white, the better to showcase his sensuous silhouettes. The black dress was draped and wrapped like an Asian sarong and the white was cut slim to mid-calf, but broad across the bodice. They’re both minimal, understated knockouts.
12 September 2018
Derek Lam quotedNational Velvet, the movie that made Elizabeth Taylor a star, in his show notes.“I want it all quickly ‘cause I don’t want God to stop and think and wonder if I’m getting more than my share.” His theme for Fall was equestrianism. It’s a reference point that’s often explored by American sportswear specialists—Ralph Lauren comes to mind—but Lam’s polished, efficient interpretation was neither hackneyed nor cliché.Look 1 was a glorious navy suede cape paired with swaggering trousers and a generously proportioned black leather “feed bag.” It set the tone for a collection that was strong on coats, from on-theme quilted satin styles to more urbane cuts in chalk stripes to a single gabardine robe coat in a brilliant shade of amethyst. Lam’s graphic knits and side-stripe pants took their cues from jockey uniforms without leaning too literal.Only a brief interlude featuring appliqués of equine silhouettes came off as overtly referential and overly specific. “Must love horses” will not be a prerequisite for admiring or wearing Lam’s finale gowns, though they were inspired by the folds and drapes of fabric in a skirt when a woman rides sidesaddle. The long dresses were minimal and dramatic in equal measure, which isn’t easy to achieve. ThatNational Velvetsentiment notwithstanding, this collection stood in sharp relief to the hoo-ha that we’ve seen so much of elsewhere in New York.
12 February 2018
“It’s an all-American day,” Derek Lam declared backstage at the Pool in the former Four Seasons this afternoon. “Philip Glass, Philip Johnson, Alexander Calder,” he continued, listing the composer of his show music, the architect of his iconic venue, and the artist whose sculpture hangs in the middle of it. If Lam isn’t yet the household name that those ur-Americans are, give him time. American sportswear is his chosen métier and, lately, he just keeps getting better.His loose theme for Spring was wanderlust, hence the Western-ish leather snap-front shirt he paired with contrast waistband pants for look one. Lam cycled through other prototypical Americanisms—the camp shirt, military tailoring, jeans, khakis—but his versions are neither costume nor basic. The denim is dark and crisp and worn as a two-piece suit, boxy of shirt and full through the leg; or it was cut on the bias and swirled into a midi skirt that accompanied a plaid blouson smock top. Elevated but easy was the name of the game here, so a military shirt got the suede treatment and a terrific mint suede coat was crosshatched with a harlequin of pewter-y studs. The look that a lot of women left the Pool talking about was an emerald puff-shouldered blouse belted at the waist below a modest cut-out, worn with neat-as-a-pin khakis. Lam also whipped up a silk knotted bodice gown in that khaki color. It was a surprising choice for evening and, as we like to say here in the States, it looked awesome.
11 September 2017
What does it mean to be an American designer? And what do you need from fashion? Derek Lam said those were the twin questions animating his new collection. The answers, for anyone who’s followed the designer’s decade-and-a-half career, will not be surprising—but that doesn’t mean they’re disappointing, either. Lam’s métier is sportswear deluxe, and that’s what he gave us for Fall: uncomplicated clothes made special by considered touches. “I want to be my clients’ one-stop shop,” he said at the beginning of his low-key presentation; he promised us officewear, after-dark, and even athleisure. In a complicated world, who doesn't appreciate an easy solution?The trench is an item Lam returns to again and again, but this time he cut it in a rich tapestry jacquard with a marmot-fur collar. An elongated, ’70s-ish pantsuit is also familiar material for him, but not necessarily in the bold red velvet floral of this season. Lam’s colors will be a big selling point come fall: a red ribbed-knit turtleneck paired with a lavender leather skirt made for an unlikely but gorgeous combination. That outfit had serious wow factor. He also did quite a lot with embellishment. The silver studding on a pair of terrific midi dresses felt truer to the brand—subtle and sophisticated—than the tiger-lily embroidery on a navy coat. Lam did cable sweaters and jeans, but as guaranteed, they weren’t basic. The ivory cable-knit was actually a cape, and the denim wasn’t denim at all, but an elevated look-alike in silk and wool.
15 February 2017
The New York shows are a jumble. Of Spring collections. Of Fall. Of public-facing events and industry-only ones. How and when it will all shake out is unclear. Maybe it won’t, and juggling multiple seasons will become the new industry normal.Derek Lam, for his part, swapped the runway show he usually puts on for the intimacy of The Greenwich Hotel penthouse. As the models emerged one by one, Lam talked admiringly of his Spring muse, Georgia O’Keeffe, as well as of the artist Robert Ryman, and the way both of them worked a concept from all angles and then reworked it again. “That approach is fulfilling to me as a designer,” he said.Lam’s angle is refined American sportswear. He joked about never having made a pair of khakis in his 12 years in business, then righted the omission with a cropped pair that he teamed with a zip-front suede jacket. The O’Keeffe reference gave this fine collection its bishop-sleeve blouse and high-waisted, full-legged trousers. It also accounted for the vaguely Southwestern look—see the desert palette and Lam’s use of crumpled, lived-in fabrics—but it wasn’t overdone. For example, you wouldn’t have guessed it if Lam hadn’t said that a color-blocked tank was modeled after a star-patterned patchwork blanket. For evening, we were more of less back in town, back in the 21st century, but the tasseled crepe scarf that topped a strapless coral gown was a nice O’Keeffe-y touch.
15 September 2016
Poised as we are about halfway throughNew York Fashion Week, theDerek Lamcollection can teach us a few things about what we’ll be wanting to wear next fall. First: knee-high boots. After a few years of flat shoes, designers have risen up en masse in support of something a little sexier. Lam’s boots had high stacked heels as chunky as the thin straps that buckled across the ankles were dainty. To wear with them, Lam proposed below-the-knee, full skirts in cotton accompanied by a matching puff-shouldered shirt—much less extreme than the leg o’ mutton sleeves seen elsewhere that gave birth to the look.Lam has always been a pants man; he’s got a thing for flares in particular. There were a couple of fluid, floor-scraping pairs here, but he placed equal emphasis on boyish, cropped styles. His jeans were dark wash, fairly low slung, and cut north of the ankles. Lam embraced fur, but where he once sent out big, bold fox coats, this season’s made a virtue of artisanship: His minks were intarsia-ed in a crosshatch pattern that was also replicated as a print on silk. Mohair bouclé toppers, meanwhile, looked like they could’ve been fur, but were in fact a less pricy, faux option.Another key piece: the turtleneck. That sounds about as unsexy as it gets, but think again. Lam’s was second-skin clingy and had a frilled pie-crust neckline, and he used it as a layering piece for both day and night, an idea thatJoseph Altuzarraalsolatched onto yesterday. A V-front beaded black crochet dress and an off-the-shoulder black velvet number were the show’s subtle highlights. You could wear both without the turtlenecks, but why mess with a good idea?
14 February 2016
What Happened, Miss Simone?, theNetflixdoc about Nina Simone’s rich but up-and-down life was a starting point forDerek Lamthis season. Simone is a classic Lam muse: American, independent, but not afraid to show her feminine side, and fond of both caftans and the occasional pantsuit.Spring found Lam working the artier, more bohemian side of his typical sportswear story. One or two of his treasured trenches made their way down the runway, lapel-free, buttonless, and as unfussy as usual. And he did a new take on sailor pants, another signature. Elsewhere, though, Lam tried out just-this-side-of-eccentric ideas like cutouts at the hips of a skirt strung together with sneaker laces, or circular swags of fringe placed here and there on a sleeveless sheath. Those looked familiar from other recent runways, and they distracted from simpler, stronger pieces like intarsia knit dresses, slips inset with lace that drifted softly away from the body, and a chic sweater whose big quirk was its bell sleeves. The show ended on a high note, with siren-y gowns that Lam suspended from the neck halter-style to expose a sexy bit of shoulder.
13 September 2015
Inspirations don't come much unlikelier than Derek Lam's this season. Ready? It was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. "I like his long arms and legs. No one moves more elegantly than basketball players on the court." (For the record, Lam isn't following the NBA Finals; the Knicks are his team, poor guy.) You had to look closely to pick out the references. His basketball jersey, for one thing, comes in double-face cashmere. Lam said he wanted to take "the stuffing" out of his clothes and find a "more relaxed, contemporary attitude," but that has just as much to do with the way he sees his friends dressing—and, perhaps, comments that his Fall show was overly retro—as it does Abdul-Jabbar's rangy physical presence.In any case, the collection found him up to the task. There was an appealing ease even to his evening looks, the most graceful of which was a two-piece gown that consisted of a tunic with a teardrop cutout at the neck and a floor-length pleated skirt, shown with cork-soled flat sandals. As for daywear, he cut a jacket with the bias drape of a blouse and generally softened up his tailoring, and put a big emphasis on knit dressing, as other designers have been doing for Resort. Fox chubbies and accessories added a decadent note to the collection overall, but they didn't compromise his relaxed message.
10 June 2015
Morocco famously inspiredYves Saint Laurent. So much so, in fact, that a museum in his name will soon open in Marrakech. Maybe that’s why the North African country is so much on the minds of designers this season. Or, then again, maybe not. In any case, Morocco was the starting point forDerek Lam’s latest, and quite a good collection it is. Lam spoke of his love for “in-between places” that are neither north nor south, west nor east, and he brought that sentiment to life in the lineup. It came across in the juxtaposition of tailoring—elongated, yet relaxed—and North African touches like a loose-fitting tile-print shift and an evening dress embroidered with the crosshatched lines of a Berber rug.This season, Lam’s go-to trench comes collarless, with contrast lapels and different-color buttons left to right. He said he’s been re-watchingCasablanca. While there was nothing here that Humphrey Bogart’s Rick could’ve realistically worn, the tailoring was nonetheless menswear derived. Trousers were loose and low slung or paper-bagged at the waist, and he layered silk jacquard flares or ankle-zip pants the color of cinnamon under crocheted dresses andchemisiers, in what looked like a subtle nod to North African custom. The handwork was exceptional on those deeply fringed crocheted dresses, but even more so on a pair of cabled-knit sweaters (one cropped, the other long and sleeveless like a tunic) in a chunky natural-colored yarn.
8 June 2017
Season in and season out, Derek Lam refines his tony take on all-American sportswear. He dedicated his terrific show today to a group of ladies he called his "New York heroines," actresses Diane Keaton, Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, and Katharine Hepburn. "I love their patrician, urban, tweedy sensibility," he said backstage. Meryl Streep didn't make the cut but she could have. Conjure an image of her inKramer vs. Kramer,standing solitary and elegant in Central Park in her long, belted trench, and you've got Lam's new Fall collection.Trenches are a good place to start. Lam has made a specialty of them over his 10-year career. He imbued today's with newness by adding a hood and a generous stand-up collar, say, or by whipping them up in double-face, with a contrast color on the interior. The peacoat got a refresh, too, cut with a swingy A-line shape in deep, rich shades of leather-trimmed haircalf. An emerald green version was a real beauty. There were nods to the '70s heyday of Keaton and co.—the flared pantsuits shown with ribbed turtlenecks; a V-neck sweater with suede detailing. But for the most part, the pieces struck you as less self-consciously retro than some of what he was doing for Spring and more in sync with the way the current fashion winds are blowing. Lam has long been a go-to resource for pants, and this season, in addition to his familiar floor-scraping flares (don't miss Binx Walton's multicolored tuxedo-track pant hybrid), he's getting behind a fluid, loose-fitting culotte style with a deep, six-inch contrast hem. We expect to see a lot more of that shape on the runways this month and on the street come fall.
15 February 2015
Designers often turn to recent museum or gallery shows for collection inspiration. This season, Derek Lam's starting point was an exhibit that's been stuck in his mind for a while:Malevich and the American Legacy,a retrospective that was up at the Gagosian Gallery not quite three years ago. As Lam recalled at an appointment this afternoon, that show explored master minimalist Kazimir Malevich's influence on American art in the mid-20th century. As he dove into work on Pre-Fall, the designer extrapolated the theme, thinking about mid-century American fashion's turn toward a Malevich-ish, clean-lined functionality. Long story short, Lam went straight for his sweet spot—classic American sportswear, unfussy and luxe. The most obvious tips of the hat to Malevich were the circle eyelets on laced crepe tunics and tops, and the grid check that gave the collection its graphic dimension. There was also a great deal of Malevich-signature red, the color found on some of the standout pieces here, such as coats in red leather and refined bouclé, and a yoked midi skirt with a side-cinched apron front. Lam's gently flared trousers, meanwhile, looked terrific in camel but got an extra expressive pop in the red. Equally great-looking were the dark denim shorts and a pair of skirt-like culottes that folded in front like a sarong. The outerwear was also canny. You got the sense that these were clothes a woman could rely on. Fun, meanwhile, was in somewhat shorter supply—though a white dress with black-fringe trim offered a taste of it, and Lam's leggy over-the-knee boots seemed like they'd work well for going to the office or getting into major trouble. Must-haves, in other words.
11 December 2014
Joni Mitchell was on the speakers singing about "falling in love again," but you didn't need the Lady of the Canyon to tell you we were going back to the 1970s at Derek Lam. His preoccupation with the decade is well known. Still, the nostalgia factor ticked up a few notches this season—there's something about patchwork suede with contrast topstitching that just takes you back. But if Lam's references felt quite literal this time around, that didn't make the clothes any less compelling. For one thing, the '70s are having a moment. For another, it's great to see a designer embracing his passions with such gusto.Beyond all that topstitched suede, which came in gorgeous color combinations of lilac and violet or denim blue and emerald, there were flares, and lots of them. High-waisted or hip-slung, some with double rows of buttons at the hips sailor pant-style, they glided out on flatform sandals or flats, leg-elongating either way. "It's a continuation of my preoccupation with being an American designer," Lam said backstage. "I love the American codes: the jean jacket, the shirtwaist." The basic tee is another classic that got a rethink, in cashmere and silk ribbed knit. On the not-so-basic end of things were dresses, the bustlines of which were outlined in brass studwork. Joni Mitchell would've fallen hard for those.
7 September 2014
Resort. It just keeps getting bigger. Shows start earlier in May and go later in June, while more and more designers are staging mini shows in place of the informal presentations of the recent past. Let's hope the season doesn't lose its intimacy completely. We learn so much about how designers' brains work when they talk about their clothes.Derek Lam had plenty on his mind this afternoon at the Sean Kelly Gallery. "I always hear that women designers design for themselves. But so do I. I want longer legs, I want thinner arms," he said by way of introducing a pair of super-high-waisted white flares. The Lam silhouette for Resort was slimmer, less round than it has been in recent seasons—a point driven home by those floor-scraping trousers. Even better: "People say I love the seventies, but the year I think I really love is 1966." Why? Because in addition to it being his birth year, ’66 was the turning point between "madame couture" and the dawn of sportswear.Such distinctions may matter little to the client, but Lam's recent experiences at trunk shows reminded him that his is a sophisticated customer, one who appreciates the versatility of a tunic (wear it solo or over pants) and the mix-and-match potentialities of coordinating separates like his peplum shell and flares in orange and burgundy plaid. A few other things they'll like: the simplicity of a narrow-fit polo shirt worn with an A-line suede skirt, a gorgeous camel coat with a subtle hourglass silhouette, and the resonant color pairing of a sky blue suede jacket and a sculptural burgundy crepe de Chine dress.
2 June 2014
Derek Lam had a bit of good news heading into his New York fashion week preparations. A private equity firm with ties to his longtime mentor Domenico De Sole just bought a minority stake in his 10-year-old business. It could set Lam up nicely for significant growth. Of course, extra cash to play around with doesn't mean much if you don't have the clothes to back it up. But that he most definitely does this season. A decade in, Lam knows his strengths. A fabulous coat, gratifyingly well-cut pants, an out-of-the-ordinary boot. They're not the kinds of things that fashion revolutions are made of, but they do tend to make women's hearts go pitter-patter. Ask those private equity guys what really matters.Backstage Lam was talking about Buddhism, Tibetan prayer flags, and Central Asian nomads. He said he was interested in the idea of clashing yet harmonious energies. But it's best not to read too much into that. The overall impression was rich (see the patchwork leather skirt) but clean (as in the elongated black blazer he paired it with). Coats have already become a meme this week. Lam's contributions were whipped up in a wool bouclé shot through with Lurex. He can usually be depended on for a big fox fur, but the mood here was too quiet for that. A haircalf jacket in a striking shade of curry was a more than worthy stand-in. There was news in his knits, too. Hard to choose between the multi-ply ribbed cashmere of an asymmetrically draped sweater dress and the Mondrian-esque intarsias of his fine jersey tunics. "Prayer flag" evening dresses with split seams held together by gold beads were harmonious indeed.
8 February 2014
Over the last year or so, Derek Lam really dug into his American sportswear roots, and he's seeing results. His business partner Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann reports that the ready-to-wear collection was up 30 percent last season over the previous one. The new lineup will prove equally popular at retail.Lam has a knack for everyday glamour, and for Pre-Fall that starts with outerwear. A faux fur topper in woven taupe-colored mohair made a big statement; same went for a double-breasted coat in what looked like black pony hair, but turned out to be glossy silk velvet with a smart ribbed knit collar. Think you have plenty of trenches in your closet? Lam's dark denim version with matching jersey sleeves might have you reconsidering. A midnight blue cashgora toggle coat also looked like a keeper.With its long, full trousers, crisp shirting, and suede platform loafers, the collection vaguely channeled Katharine Hepburn in her 1930s and forties prime. But it never smacked of retro. The designer's clean, unadorned silhouettes helped keep things modern. So did his experiments with volume and dimension. A sleeveless dress was cut in panels to create a vase-like shape below the waist; the fabric of another was manipulated so it almost looked quilted. It was an illusion—the dress was actually quite light. Fans will be happy to see a new take on his leather patchwork pieces; this season's pencil skirt was mixed with suede.
7 January 2014
Clothes you want to wear. That shouldn't be a novelty at a fashion show, yet somehow it is. We bring it up in the context of Derek Lam because, last season and today, clothes you want have been what he's put on the runway. For Fall he was talking about control; this afternoon, the topic on his mind was letting go of it. Either way, the results were dependably chic: all-American sportswear with refreshed proportions and little idiosyncratic twists."We're going into our tenth year, and it's been a tumultuous one," Lam said backstage, referring to how he and his partner, Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, bought back his company from Labelux last November. "Design-wise, my tendency is to look at clothes in a minute way. The challenge was to allow playfulness." Pulling back like he did lent the clothes an appealing minimalism. Not much in the way of embellishments, save for some raffia fringe trim, but plenty of interesting textures. Textures including the printed jersey of a crisscross-back vest and matching pants that read like tweed bouclé, or the hand-painted guipure lace of dresses over which he layered spongy crepe cropped tops. We've seen lots of denim on the runway this week, but nothing quite as cool as his dark indigo belted dress with the kicky volume in front.As for those idiosyncratic twists, they were literal this season. Riffing on the idea of wrapping a towel on the body, he made a strapless yellow crepe georgette gown with a tucking detail below the bust that really did look about as easy as stepping out of the shower and reaching for the terrycloth. Gorgeous.
7 September 2013
North Africa is trending for Resort. First Maria Cornejo, and now Derek Lam brought it up at his presentation today. But if Lam's collection was inspired by travel, it remained very urbane. A djellaba was reimagined as a sand-colored leather tunic with a slashed and raised front neckline, and shadows cast by the pyramids were rendered in a graphic color-blocked leather skirt. Not exactly clothes made for hopping on and off a group tour bus. As a designer, Lam is interested in a question like: What can make the suit look new? He answered it several ways this season, with a cashmere jersey top and matching skirt that qualified as a suit in only the loosest sense of the term—it's a two-piece outfit—and sleeveless peplum and cropped trouser sets that had a pleasing ease.For evening, he played around with guipure lace in geometric designs (no florals or froufrou here). The dresses were interesting, and the gold and black in particular jibed with his theme, but they didn't quite match the beauty of a V-neck apron dress in white bonded satin. Lam has always loved a white frock, and this one was a keeper.
4 June 2013
Derek Lam doesn't get better than he was today. He left his post at Tod's almost a year ago now, and it looks as though he's used his newfound free time to get to know himself—and his customer—better. He neatly summed her up backstage: "She's got a bohemian spirit, but in a modern, controlled way."That's a good fit for Lam, a California boy who was raised in San Francisco in its hippie heyday. His inner boho came out here in patchwork on a sleeveless suede dress; a full, below-the-knee skirt; and in a technically challenging but worth the effort suede T-shirt with a mosaic pattern encircling its neckline. Last season's macramé got another airing, and he also experimented with crochet. A black openwork poncho dress looked sweet.As for modern and controlled, it's hard to compete with the simplicity of a navy and white satin top tucked into swaggering black sailor pants, but a cape-back white satin blouse and tapering navy satin pants with shades of Spring Céline came away with a slight advantage. It might've been the show's most elegant look; still, it wasn't all quite as spare as that. Graphic color-blocked T-shirts will be eye-catching from the other side of the selling floor.Lam's been a destination for coats since he started, and he didn't mess with success here. A pair of camel capes—short for day, long for night—were unstructured beauties. The peacoat with contrast white lapels and martingale was more hardworking but just as polished.
9 February 2013
Elevating sporty clothes like the sweatshirt has become an industry-wide practice in the last couple of years. Derek Lam was one of the designers who got there first, so you can be sure there was a luxed-up sweatshirt in his pre-fall lineup. This time around, it came in bonded lace, paired with an A-line skirt made from swooping panels of other kinds of lace. He admitted he's a bit obsessed with the fabric this season. The rest of the collection was stocked with other pieces that he considers his go-to hits: a classic peacoat, the dressed-down floor-length dress, denim. Going further back—"to his roots," he said—was a softly constructed peasant blouse with a Chantilly-lace bib. It best captured the effortless and efficient yet romantic vibe that defines the Lam brand.
8 January 2013
One of the developing stories this week has been American sportswear—workwear, to be more precise—and all the ways designers can elevate it on the runways. A season like this is made for Derek Lam, who's been practicing his own brand of sporty luxury for years. He keyed into the trend from the beginning of the show, co-opting madras plaids for a sleeveless dress, whipping up boxy T-shirts from crisp cottons, and, as is his custom, tweaking traditional trenches into something entirely new. The best look in the collection was a glorified fleece sweatshirt with rolled sleeves worn with a metallic gold leather skirt pieced together with black silk cord macramé. Modern and cool, it's exactly how Lam's girl wants to dress now.Lam's other preoccupation this season was craft. In addition to that macramé, there was brightly hued guipure lace on a midriff-revealing top and a matching midi skirt. Other pieces were made from what looked like a lacquered basket weave. They showed off Lam's gorgeous color sense—black, with sunny yellow and fatigue green—even if they looked familiar from other runways. Meanwhile, large holographic paillettes embroidered on the front panels of skirts felt flashier than the rest of the collection—a grasp, perhaps, for last season's embellishment trend, which is already looking tired. Like we said at the beginning, Lam excels at polished sportswear. We would've traded in all of those paillettes put together for just one more of his inventive trenches.
8 September 2012
We never heard this one before: At his presentation this morning, Derek Lam reported he was inspired by the Eddie Murphy comedyComing to America. Actually, let's call it a loose inspiration. Lam isn't the kind of designer to play for giggles; his signature brand of American sportswear is more chic than tongue-in-cheek. But Resort does find him in a playful mood, teaming a leopard print and a giraffe motif on a sleeveless A-line shift and draping a printed silk sarong into a flirty cocktail number.Lam explained that retailers are asking for urban dressing at Resort time, so though the genesis of these clothes was "safari," the results were city-ready. The denim pieces looked sharp despite their soft, sun-washed feel. And a loose-fitting black leather and nylon all-in-one made a worthy addition to his back catalog of great-looking jumpsuits. Coming soon to a high-end department store near you.
4 June 2012
"Thoughtful, quiet, a little more sober," is how Derek Lam described his new collection. On each seat, his PR team placed a paper bookmark that read "The Library," and the opening series of Persian floral prints was influenced by the frontispiece of an old book he came across. But you'd hardly call his Fall girl bookish, not with her paisley brocade bodysuit, leather pencil skirt, and gold-dipped oxfords.Lam's show had a sixties vibe that went beyond the bouffant hairdos and smoky cat eyes. Ruby Aldridge's white peacoat, poplin shirt, V-neck, and full black skirt conjured visions of some quirky coed, only in real life her jacket probably wasn't shearling, the sweater wouldn't have been cashmere, and the skirt most definitely wasn't black patent. As always, there was great outerwear here, but Lam de-emphasized fur in favor of down, cutting a jacket and vest in neat, trim shapes.When it came time for the final passage of eveningwear, we were firmly in the present. Only a high-tech mill could pull off those Aran sweaters made from twisted nylon tulle, and only a modern-thinking designer would pair them with long chiffon skirts trailing trains.
11 February 2012
Scott Schuman's street-style shots from Pitti Uomo inspired Derek Lam's pre-fall collection. "Especially the photographs of the Japanese guys," the designer said. "They always look so amazingly put together." Lam's collections always have a tailoring element, but it was a stronger focus here, starting from the ground up: His shiny gold oxfords with clever elevated heels look like a hit. Another good idea: Savile Row-sharp blazers in a menswear plaid and a shade he called Florentine green both came with removable mink collars. And denim, a constant for the label, was spliced into thin ribbons, woven into a jacquard, and cut into a sexy sleeveless sheath.But it wasn't all boys' stuff. For contrast, Lam also zeroed in on lingerie, showing silk charmeuse slip gowns. The highlight for evening, though, was a more dressed-down floor-length halter dress in a red and white bandanna print.
9 January 2012
You can take the boy out of California, but you can't take California out of the boy. Derek Lam, who grew up on the Left Coast, is prone to look back in that direction for inspiration. This season, in his program notes, he mentioned Richard Neutra's Kaufmann House in Palm Springs: "Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack crooning by the piano and Angie Dickinson lounging by a crystal-blue pool. Mid-century louche and luxury."What does that mean for the clothes? This didn't look like some retro throwback collection. On the contrary, in trademark Lam fashion, it was brimming with timeless sportswear: special pieces like a white linen trench with glossy black leather trim and elbow patches, a future-vintage python pencil skirt in a patchworked medallion pattern, and an elongated brown leather blazer you'll keep forever. There were plenty of hardworking pieces too, like colorful, chunky rib-knit sweaters, and a great pair of navy silk tapering trousers with deep white cuffs. Locating it in the SoCal of the middle of the last century also made it look right for right now: very on-trend engineered prints with a resort-ready vibe. The holographic sequins on a pair of tank dresses also looked like fun. California, here we come.
10 September 2011
The two big ideas floating out there in the fashion ether for Resort are ethnic and sport. Derek Lam nailed both of them with a great-looking lineup influenced by a two-and-a-half-week visit to Bhutan and Phuket in March. Lam is a peripatetic traveler and a native Californian, but he's a bona fide New Yorker now, so the tribal and diving motifs were on the subtle side. There was a color-blocked shift inspired by Tibetan prayer flags, a linen skirt embroidered in the manner of a textile Lam picked up in Bhutan, a scarf-print halter dress with Buddhist motifs, and hand-loomed sash belts. Scuba entered the picture via second-skin knits in white or vivid turquoise. Also in the mix: a sleeveless denim tunic with raw edges (denim is de rigueur for Lam) and a racerback tank and parachute pants set that had the look of one of his trademark jumpsuits. Crocodile handbags were new for the season. "The store on Madison was asking for them, so I thought, why not?" he said. Being in touch with what his city girls want is really paying off.
6 June 2011
"George Balanchine once said, 'There are no new steps, only new combinations,'" Derek Lam said backstage before his show. "And I thought to myself, That's what makes his work so modern." There were no ballet references in Lam's Fall collection, but there's little arguing that the designer has found his groove in the last year or so. What Lam excels at is classic sportswear tweaked and updated with surprising, often luxe fabrics. Take, for starters, a shearling vest. Turns out that's not your average, everyday lamb shearling—it's softer, warmer alpaca. Lam has the fur-sleeve coats that have been absolutely everywhere so far this season, but his come with a difference. Make that two: First, the fur is waxed, which ups its weather-resistance quotient while simultaneously giving it a cool, almost wet look; and second, the body of the coat is hard-working cotton.But those kinds of details aren't the only things that will make this collection so attractive to his customers. Lam gives you a reason to add another peacoat to your closet by cutting it in a gorgeous smoky blue. And if you were of the mind that you had plenty of full-legged trousers, thank you very much, the clever two-tone pair in silk-rayon and technical twill that he showed with a gold lamé necktie blouse and a flannel blazer will have you reconsidering. Same goes for his jumpsuits, which feature the new away-from-the-body silhouette Phoebe Philo's been experimenting with. For evening, Lam played matchmaker, pairing a leather bodice with a breezy poplin long-to-the-floor skirt, or strapless stretch flannel with fluid silk jersey. The off-kilter combinations only added to the gowns' appealing ease.
12 February 2011
Derek Lamfound his groove in a Spring runway show that made the most of his California roots and laidback all-American aesthetic, and he smartly continued in the same clean, unfussy direction for pre-fall. His spare, 14-piece presentation was long on Lam signatures, from fox fur vests to a long-sleeved, floor-length gown in Pepto pink that had appeared in white for Spring. "If I love something," the designer reasoned, "why not repeat it?" But he wasn't short on smart new ideas, either, chief among them a pair of inventive dresses, knit on top and leather or washed silk faille below the waist. In keeping with a theme of the week, they looked like two separate pieces but were actually one. "This way, you don't have to bother with a bodysuit," Lam said. A silk crepe tank dress in a tweed print touched on another pre-fall theme: photo prints. Also of note: a pea jacket with a peplum back worn with a ball skirt as well as a halter gown topped by a cropped leather jacket. Both looks captured the pulled together yet effortless essence of this collection.
10 January 2011
Derek Lam struck gold last season with a clean, sharp collection of urban sportswear that looked to the American West for inspiration. For Spring, he headed further in the same direction, to his home state of California, to be exact. The clothes were still mostly minimal, but in a softer palette and a more relaxed silhouette. The overall effect was dreamier and a bit more retro. You could picture Joni Mitchell or another Lady of the Canyon in Lam's indigo linen twill blazer and matching flared trousers, and there were shades of the seventies in other pieces, including a little yellow jacquard tunic-and-shorts set and a silk crepe blouse tucked into a stiff suede A-line skirt.The decade has always been ripe territory for this designer, and he was savvy to resist the urge to rush headlong into another era. Sometimes it had appeared as though Lam was unsettled about his aesthetic direction; now he seems to have established his look. That's not to say this collection was rooted in the past. Floating away from the body as the models glided down the runway on wooden wedges, his spare, unadorned evening dresses couldn't have been more modern.
11 September 2010
Derek Lam's SANAA-designed Crosby Street boutique and office space inspired his smart Resort lineup—in an unexpected way. "My architects make models of the store with miniature mannequins in miniature versions of my clothes," said the designer, who took the paper dolls idea and ran with it. For example, the holes in the cotton twill eyelet he used for a pair of shorts and a slim skirt looked like you might have scissored them yourself. (This was refined DIY, mind you—those items were paired with a snug cashmere sweater with a longer hem in back and a crisp camp shirt, respectively.) Lam also had caution-orange crepe de chine chintzed three times to create the almost starchy, Kraft paper-y texture of a shirtdress. Small, white-washed leather bags on long shoulder straps extended the motif to accessories. Crafty inspiration aside, though, this collection was signature Lam: urban and polished.
7 June 2010
Following Spring's ode to East Coast beach towns, Derek Lam's Fall collection was a celebration of the American West. "Hasn't everybody at one point or another had the fantasy of being a cowboy? A cowgirl?" he asked backstage. Well, as grounded in reality as his chic clothes looked today, even gals who never dreamed of life on the range will find plenty of stuff to like.Despite the fringe, the blanket embroideries, even the Albertus Swanepoel-designed cowboy hats, the mood remained decidedly urban. That's partly because Lam showed so many statement coats, a city woman's must-have if ever there was one. His customer can choose from streamlined caramel moleskin with black vintage-leather sleeves, a black and white knitted fox cardigan, or a sand-colored shearling bomber edged with dark-brown leather. The other factor that made this collection look so right was its strict, tailored silhouette. The charcoal silk gazar flaring trousers—shown with a shrunken marled wool sweater and a terra-cotta suede apron belt—are contenders for the pants of New York fashion week. As for the wooden platform boots he showed with them, we saw so many approving nods from the audience, it's certain there will be wagonloads of girls eager to rustle up a pair.Another positive note: After a year's absence, two floor-length dresses made the runway, one in black crepe jersey with a plunging cowl neck and the other in draped ivory silk jersey. The recession may not officially be over, but Lam's clearly feeling optimistic. Nowadays, few things are as seductive as that.
15 February 2010
"Minimalism with warmth" is how Derek Lam described his pre-fall lineup, a focused exploration of the essential pieces that comprise a woman's wardrobe. Since opening his Crosby Street store last summer, the designer has been receiving firsthand feedback as to what those items are. Fur does well, so on offer today were a fox vest and coordinating shrug. This label does a brisk business in outerwear, too, and a pair of bonded wool coats—one in brown with a fur collar and another in printed jacquard—should be particularly coveted next winter. Coupled with pieces like a sienna-hued vest-style wrap dress and a black leather and flannel T-shirt, the overall effect was cleaner and more graphic than the polka-dot-and-floral,1940's-inflected looks the designer showed for Spring. But that's not to say he's abandoned his softer side. Lam updated one of his best-selling silhouettes—a slim-but-not-tight elbow-sleeved frock—in Lurex with a digitized butterfly print. The verdict: plenty here to warm his fans' hearts.
11 January 2010
Backstage before his show, Derek Lam said they've had to reorder the sexy matte jersey dresses from his Fall collection for his new Crosby Street store, so he brought one back for Spring, but in a bright shade of purple. Everything about this collection felt bolder than its predecessor: That has something to do with the places Lam went looking for inspiration—Asbury Park, Rehoboth Beach, and other East Coast summer destinations, rather than the interior of Coco Chanel's Paris flat. "I haven't done full-on color for a while," he said, "and it feels like the right moment now."It would've been impossible for Lam to know that the subject of next May's Costume Institute exhibition would be the American woman when he started this feel-good, almost downright patriotic collection, but it's a swell coincidence. Channeling the forties by way of the disco era, he showed a sweet little floral-blouse-high-waisted-shorts combo, one great-looking dark denim zip-front jacket, and retro "deck-side" one-pieces (you lounge in them, you don't swim). Stars were everywhere. Small, they looked like polka dots on a belted crepe de chine dress. A bigger multicolor print was used for a sleeveless blouse tucked into corseted trousers. And then there was Lily Donaldson's sundress, patchworked together from black and white poplin: It had a big star front and center. All that was missing was the cotton candy. It was enough to make you nostalgic for a summer by the beach that you never had, and that's the emotional hook that will lure the gals into Lam's store.
12 September 2009
Bringing happiness back is one tall order, but that was Derek Lam's plan when he was designing his Resort collection. His MO? Leaven his signature edgy urban basics with a beachy vibe. Riffing on popular looks from his Fall collection, he whipped up studded jersey dresses and sequined cocktail numbers in bold colors like yellow and marine blue, and, even cheekier, showed clamshell-print pajama pants with a stripey nautical tee. It'll be a kick to wear, whether your island is Manhattan or of the more tropical variety.
9 June 2009
From the first look out, a taupe suede trenchcoat with a big fur stole, it was clear that Derek Lam would be going the give-the-ladies-what-they-want route. There was no reinventing the wheel here, just superluxe versions of the sportswear his girls know and love him for, in a gorgeous warm and soothing palette of beige, gray, camel, and gold, with touches of navy and black. Backstage, Lam said his colors and textures were inspired by Yves Saint Laurent's interiors, and the mood by Louis Malle's 1958 movie,Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, which starred Jeanne Moreau as a wicked film noir heroine. That would explain the preponderance of dramatic outerwear, including a number of furs, most of which were rendered in coyote—good news, girls, that should help to keep the prices down.Don't think retro, though. Lam touched on more than a few of what are shaping up to be Fall's key items, including skinny black leather pants, a slightly oversize tuxedo jacket, a cape, and draped and wrapped jersey dresses. One with snaps down the side of the torso looked especially sexy. Unusually, the designer sidestepped big evening dresses, which is usually a strong suit, focusing instead on strapless cocktail frocks in amber georgette and sand-colored crepe de chine. There is such a thing as playing it too safe. Lam's not necessarily guilty of that, but you walked away wanting something more.
16 February 2009
After a brief side trip into Isak Dinesen-land last season, with its heavy lace, black net pinafore, and jet beading, Derek Lam was back on familiar ground for Spring: all-American sportswear with a languid attitude informed by his native California. A few days before his show, he explained that his dual inspirations were Coco Chanel in Venice circa 1939 and Venice Beach in 2009. "I've been trying to understand what makes her, more than anyone, look so contemporary," Lam said. "I think it's because she always looked natural." With that as his mandate, Lam designed easy dresses with adjustable drawstring waists in white matte jersey and tangerine crepe de chine for day and copper lamé for evening. His suiting, too, had a fluidity of movement: Key looks were a slouchy pajama jacket with an asymmetrical scarf lapel that topped a camp shirt, loosely cuffed utility shorts and a nude vest, and an A-line tank and cropped cigarette pants combo.Lam gave shout-outs to a couple of the season's emerging trends: makeup colors, for one, and jumpsuits for another. A black one-shoulder satin faille version that Lam dubbed a "trouser gown" captured the mood he was going for. He added some glittery beaded dresses to the mix, but unfortunately the collection as a whole failed to generate enough heat to keep his crowd interested.
8 September 2008
For Resort, Derek Lam embraced the unpretentiousness of American sportswear—a perennial motif of his, and as such not necessarily the freshest direction for him to explore. A menswear influence was apparent in button-down shirts, crisp trousers, and various (perhaps too various) trenchcoats both short and long. Balancing the gender scales was ladylike fare touched by Camelot: boxy coats, bracelet sleeves, cigarette pants, and funnel-collared tops. More intriguing was a romper in a pretty printed silk. Lam claimed the all-in-one silhouette has been a retail hit—though the fashion jury may still be debating that one.
15 June 2008
"Controlled exuberance" were Derek Lam's buzzwords backstage. Expanding on what inspired him, he cited Isak Dinesen and her lifelong struggle to resolve the contradictions between her family's bourgeois values and her own, more adventurous, spirit. That's a lot of meaning to load into a collection, but Lam gave it his best shot. The control was in the rigorous tailoring: a dramatic, sweeping duster coat; a sexy herringbone corset worn with a narrow gray tweed skirt; and a rethought three-piece suit, consisting of a trench, double-breasted riding jacket, and stovepipe trousers, all in a taupe wool tweed. As for the exuberance, it could be seen in a red and ivory floral chiné-print sack dress and in a black tulle sequined-and-feathered spaghetti-strap frock.There were moments where Lam's two-sided equation really added up—a casually chic combination of a gold lace dress and a boxy brown leather jacket, for example. As a whole, though, the concept never quite jelled. Still, the show ended on a lovely note. Lam has always had a way with gowns, and this season was no exception. A pair of draped numbers, in midnight and black velvet with ivory pleated crinolines swishing at their hems, said soigné; the two silk gazar dresses gave us sculptural. Here, at least, the designer was fully in control.
5 February 2008
A child of the seventies, Derek Lam is at his best when he's reimagining the Me Decade. Before his show, the designer explained he was inspired by the late photographer Guy Bourdin. "I've always loved his work," Lam said. "He's the other side of Helmut Newton—young and fresh and provocative." Lam's show was all those things, from the first gray-tone leopard-print silk romper to the final look, a louche gold sequin robe. By day, there were mid-calf dresses with V-necks in bold green and red raw silk; and, on the tailored side, a swingy coat-dress with bell sleeves and a double row of gold buttons, or a navy blazer that was all sharp angles worn over a little one-piece.After dark, out came the zebra prints and an allover-beaded sheath that had the look of stained glass without any of its holy connotations. But what this show will be remembered for, not least because come springtime you'll see bright young things all over town sporting them, were the little silk georgette evening dresses. Lam cut them short, with tiny handkerchief sleeves and delicate pintucks at the chest, and showed them with sexy black back-seam stockings. Bourdin would approve.
8 September 2007
Derek Lam said a recent trip to Kyoto inspired his resort clothes—and you could see the Japanese influence in a lacquer-red silk dress as well as in an ikat fabric used for blouses. But the strength of the collection was its lack of an obvious theme. There were terrific above-the-knee dresses, each with something special to recommend it—be that a sixties-ish stand-up neckline, a dropped flapper waist, or intricate embroidery. For the red-carpet-bound, he showed a brilliant purple gown and another in white with dramatic asymmetric draping. "I always do a one-shouldered gown," said the designer.
25 June 2007
So long, Claire McCardell. The American sportswear pioneer who was the inspiration behind Derek Lam's fine Spring collection has been replaced by something altogether sexier—a change of direction that seemed to interfere with the designer's better instincts. The first clue was a pair of black leather-and-suede riding pants—leggings, really—that trotted down the runway with a boxy, asymmetrical boiled-felt coat. Other exhibits included a bustier dress, a clingy bolero worn with a flippy tweed skirt, and an otherwise office-ready gray flannel sheath with corsetry seaming on the bodice. The clothes' exaggerated shoulders, high nipped waists, and abbreviated hemlines looked like a wink and nod in the direction of Azzedine Alaïa and Hervé Léger. The trouble being, these designers were big news last season, which made Lam's show, for all its sexy wearability, look derivative.But if there were shades of other collections in his day looks, evening was pure Derek. The goddess gowns he did for Spring were reinterpreted as flirty cocktail numbers, one in gold silk lamé. And the trio of graceful double-crepe columns in black, royal, and white that closed the show were, simply put, drop-dead gorgeous.
5 February 2007
"I want a woman to feel natural in her gestures," said Derek Lam backstage after his show. With that goal in mind, he loosened up his fall silhouette considerably, trading in lady blouses for tunics, and leggings for full trousers cuffed at the ankle or right below the knee. He even named a crisp raw silk A-line shift worn over pants the "McCardell popover dress," in honor of the great American designer who made practical clothes for the average working girl. There was nothing average about Lam's homage, though; it was one of the collection's strongest looks.Working a masculine-feminine theme, Lam showed loose-fitting tanks as well as a dress in suit lining fabric inset with lace and piped in black. He also elevated madras chemises and pajama pants by trimming them in silk. If it all sounds a little sexless, it wasn't. Like other designers this season, he chose navy for evening. His were draped goddess style and suspended from one braided strap, a style that is fast on its way to becoming a Derek Lam classic.
11 September 2006
"It's about New York at night, racing through Times Square in a cab and seeing only flashes of color," said Derek Lam of the influences behind his latest show. From the very first look—a cowl-neck sweater worn with a ruffle shirt, black leggings, and killer leather booties—this new collection made Lam's spring sojourn in Hawaii look rather mild. As the old saying goes, there's no place like home.Leggings were an important building block for the fall line, functioning as a sexy, minimalist pedestal of sorts, upon which to display his fabulous outerwear. A maxi-length trench with silver fox cuffs rendered his popular crinkle-cotton version from a few seasons back immediately obsolete. Capes, too, are becoming a signature. Lam did long and short versions in salt-and-pepper tweed, as well as evening styles. One was lavishly embroidered with velvet rosettes, another came in ruffled stripes of black dévoré.Cocktail hour was where those Times Square colors kicked in. Fall's must-have one-shoulder silhouette came in turquoise laundered georgette, and sunshine-yellow or kelly-green bodices topped gold jacquard and black crepe skirts, respectively. What Lam lacked in showstopping gowns—there was only one, in crepe chiffon—he more than made up for with details like jet beading. The result: his strongest collection to date.
7 February 2006
"Paradise lost." That's how Derek Lam described the Hawaii of John Severson's midcentury surf photographs, and the inspiration behind his spring collection. The silhouettes—A-line, above-the-knee, puff sleeves—certainly recalled the sixties, as did his palette of mostly khaki, black, and white. As for beachy accents, the two-time CFDA/VogueFashion Fund finalist accessorized with fabric leis, sand dollars on leather straps, and silk scarves cinched below the chin.As retro as it sounds, what made the collection right for modern-day city dwellers was its ease. Sure, a pencil skirt is sexy, but a paper-bag-waist skirt made from cotton voile eyelet is irresistibly weightless. In which one would you rather walk a mile? Lam's Empire-waist gowns in crinkle chiffon seemed to float down the runway, a counterpoint in a season when many designers have gone heavy on the ornamentation, especially for night. If a complaint can be made, it's that a lot of what he showed looked rather young for the prices they will command.
15 September 2005
Since catapulting onto the New York scene five seasons ago, Derek Lam has earned himself quite a following for his ability to update and reinterpret classics from other eras. For fall, the CFDA/VogueFashion Fund finalist took inspiration from California beach towns in the late sixties—Topanga, Salinas, Carmel—and the artsy magpie style of the locals.With a "California Dreamin'" cover and a Mercury Rev song borrowed from theLaurel Canyonsoundtrack to set the mood, Lam sent out drop-waist silk shirtdresses, grandpa cardigans, prairie skirts, and pleated trousers in "laundered" shades of blue, red, saffron, and brown. Yes, he played with the exaggerated volumes so popular this season—organza slipdresses blossomed at the waist, and models tucked their hands into deep pockets—but his experiments were relaxed and easy, not tricky. Details, many of which looked Spanish colonial and Central American in origin, came in the way of turquoise beading, strappy leather sandals dotted with jewels, and too-familiar blanket wraps.Not as focused as last season, the collection also seemed unrealistic for residents of colder regions. But that may have been intentional: Lam is a California boy, after all, one who's been known to wear his own sandals well into the New York fall.
10 February 2005
Derek Lam set the mood for his lovely spring collection with the first song: Bette Midler's soulful version of "Do You Want to Dance?" It's the kind of bittersweet ballad that put the audience into a wistful, romantic frame of mind—just where Lam wanted them.The designer (a CFDA/VogueInitiative finalist) took as his inspiration the torrid affair Helmut Newton had in Singapore with Josette, an older Belgian woman, just before World War II. The silhouettes—calf-length, flowing skirts, a slightly emphasized shoulder, a true waist defined by big belts—certainly recalled that era, as did Lam's use of muted colors, fluttery georgette crepe de chine, and lace.The overall impression was that any of these looks—flowing ruffled chiffon tea gowns and tiered, polka dot Empire gowns, loose but tailored trousers, soft blouses that tied at the neck—could have come from the closet of a sophisticated European exile. But Lam made it modern with smart looks like high-waisted "coolie" jackets, slim pencil skirts, and a crimson floral print done on a light wrap coat. Soft, drifty evening skirts and gowns in subtle color combinations like chocolate and violet are certain to set hearts beating faster.
11 September 2004
Derek Lam is one of the most promising young talents on the New York scene, a position underscored by the list of partial sponsors for his sophomore runway presentation—Ecco Domani,Vogue,Swarovski, Shiseido, Maurice Villency, and Saga Furs each contributed to the cost of the show, in the august confines of New York’s National Arts Club. The investment turned out to be a sound one. Lam’s 24-piece collection displayed the attitude, exuberance, and craftsmanship of a much more experienced designer (which shouldn’t be that surprising, given the fact that he spent 12 years working for Michael Kors).Lam’s fall mood was part Viennese formality, part Gypsy ease, and his strength as a mixologist came through in some superb pairings: luxurious cashmere boyfriend sweaters with shiny jacquard dresses, or a striped mink scarf worn with lamé brocade pajama shorts. The designer reprised the softly structured strapless dresses he had shown for spring, rendering them in glittery fabrics with jeweled embellishments, and balanced comfort and opulence in a floral-print vintage-silk georgette dress that flowed with every step. He also introduced softer, longer tea gowns and Empire-waisted peasant dresses. The final evening gowns were stunners that lifted even the Some Girls lyrics on the soundtrack—“You’re the prettiest girl in the world”—out of the realm of irony or cliché. Lam’s collection was relevant, contemporary, and genuinely very pretty, indeed.
7 February 2004
Derek Lam said that he designed his sophomore collection “with awoman, not an ingénue, in mind,” and the names he gave his pieces drove the point home. There were “Sophia” and “Ava” dresses, as well as a “Marilyn” camisole that referenced Ms. Monroe, one of Lam’s main inspirations for the season (the other being the filmIn the Mood for Love). But for all their grown-up sophistication, the clothes were more gamine than sexpot.The well edited eighteen-piece show featured a carnation print in slipper satin, a linen brocade shot with silver thread, and a vivid palette, worked into pieces like a cerise paper taffeta shell coat and a turquoise silk/cotton faille trench. Satin bra tops paired with Jacquard skirts were worn with heels for real sizzle; if put together with flats it would make for a flirty look. Pretty daytime options like box-pleat skirts and boyfriend sweaters gave way to the understated glamour of strapless evening dresses. Produced in Italy, Lam’s collection looks and feels expensive—and totally worth it.
13 September 2003