2009 by Hearst Communications Inc
Much like his chic creations, the designer lives a life rooted in sleekness, simplicity, and sophistication.
Photographs by Douglas friedman
Dancing with the Stars, The City, Top Design: These days, it seems everyone has a guilty reality-television-viewing habit. For Derek Lam, his TV turn-on is cooking shows. From Barefoot Contessa to Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations to Iron Chef America, the designer has never seen a kitchen program he didn't eat up.
[Photograph]: Kate Young sits pretty with designer Derek Lam. Derek Lam dress, $1,350, pants, $1,250, and sandals, $550. 212-966-1616. Jewelry, Young's own. Menswear, Lam's own. Floral arrangements (throughout), L'Olivier Floral Atelier, NYC, and Banchet Flowers, NYC. Fashion editor: Kate Young
HAIR: WESLEY O'MEARA FOR TRESEMMÉ; MAKEUP: FABIOLA ARANCIBIA; PROP STYLING: MATTHEW BETMALECK STUDIO
Call him the Irony Chef, as Lam doesn't cook. "I watch them not so much to learn how to cook but to be more educated about what I am eating," explains the 43-year-old Chinese-American designer who heads up his own label, Derek Lam, and also serves as the creative director of Tod's. Instead, for nights at home with friends, he and his partner, Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, rely on the talents of chef Brendan McHale of New York's Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar. McHale's magic in the kitchen has been known to wow dinner parties of up to 15, including guests like stylist Kate Young, artist Isca Greenfield-Sanders, and his PR manager, Aimee Lewis, on the duo's verdant terrace.
[Photograph]: A peaceful corner of the master bedroom
The lush outdoor space is one of the many highlights of Lam's light-filled SoHo loft, just blocks from his first-ever boutique, which opened this spring on Crosby Street next to Jil Sander. The apartment's California-inspired interior mashes together masculine modern elements like austere wood and metallic finishes, yet it maintains an understated softness with upholstered French chairs and antiques from stores like Antony Todd and Wyeth Home. "I'd say we are bridging the gap between formal and informal," Lam says. "It's always about luxury while at the same time feeling casual and relaxed."
[Photograph]: Lam holds court for Young and Isca Greenfield-Sanders. Derek Lam clothing and accessories.
His aspirations at home seem to mimic his fashion ideologies. His designs have a tailored sophistication that's made lighter with the whimsical use of color, pattern, and texture. Lam, who graduated from the Parsons School of Design, got his start at Michael Kors in 1990 before venturing out on his own in 2003. "I grew up in San Francisco," he explains, "where American style was much more bohemian and relaxed, so 12 years of working with Michael was an education in Eastern-seaboard style. Now, having learned those codes, it's about taking that style and twisting it -- not repeating it but being playful, conceptual, and contemporary."
[Photograph]: Chess, anyone?
Lam has clearly succeeded in his mission, receiving rave reviews for his Fall 2009 show, a soothing palette of nudes, taupes, and beiges punctuated with splashes of sequins, fur finishes, and strong leather pieces. Interestingly enough, for the collection's color and texture quotients, Lam has said that he was inspired by interiors, particularly those of Yves Saint Laurent. From the show's first look, a stunning camel suede trench coat, to a stand-out navy dress worn over a gold panne-velvet shirt, Lam took spring's mantra of a "return to the classics" to a whole new level. He promised his loyal followers a strong set of wearable pieces, like belted day frocks and edgier slim pants, that will translate to not only the fall season but beyond.
[Photograph]: Lam and partner Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann at home
Lam's capabilities don't end there. Once he took on Diego Della Valle's luxury brand, Tod's, in 2005, Lam put a fresh spin on the house's accessories, and soon afterward he launched its ready-to-wear line. His use of opulent skins and fine leathers has attracted a following from celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker, Katie Holmes, and Renée Zellweger. "It's wonderful to be able to do both brands," says Lam. "Derek Lam is about daydreaming, and Tod's is about taking the daydream and being focused with it." And it's in his home where he daydreams best.
[Photograph]: The open and airy living room is lined in artwork
[Photograph]: A colorful framed Picasso scarf offsets the dark palette
[Photograph]: Aimee Lewis, Lam, Young, and Schlottmann catch up on the terrace. Derek Lam clothing and accessories.
DEREK'S PICKS
[Photograph]: Derek Lam, Fall 2009
[Photograph]: Tod's jumpsuit, $2,995, and belt, $345. 800-457-TODS.
[Photograph]: Derek Lam, Fall 2009
[Photograph]: Derek Lam jacket, $2,900. Homecenter.com
[Photograph]: Tod's sandal, $1,775
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