As it turned out, though, Derek Lam stopped short of giving his audience an immersion in mid-century Americana. Though his heart was in the right place as a designer of clean, precisely made, and very evidently luxurious sportswear, he is not someone to run wild with a singular runway theme.
Make no mistake—anyone who comes across Lam’s pieces item by item next spring will be in for some pleasurable surprises. He cuts a crisp, A-line skirt, the kind of blazers which will merge easily into any wardrobe, and he showed the best knits seen in New York so far—ribbed or honeycomb textured sweaters which looked great as single pieces and sometimes came with matching skirts. As an expert in leather, he deployed a good shoe, too, like two-tone appliquéd “Daytona” pumps, and bags patchworked in snakeskin. There was a flash of humor when Lam took on the season’s obligatory exercise in print, with patterns inspired by vintage place mats which popped up on three looks midway through the show. But for all that unimpeachably retail-ready merchandise, Lam left his audience wishing the show had somehow transmitted a bit more of the sunny California dreaming he’d written about.
From spring 2012 collection of Derek Lam, we can find what kind of dresses really deserve simplicity and exquisiteness. And all the delicate silhouettes and elaborate craftsmanship have impressed the audience present. It is amazing to see such smooth streamline and appearance that we have to admire the creativity and discipline of Lam, who is always sticking to cleaness and preciseness.