Derek Lam.

Sun. 09/08/2013.



Derek Lam.

After a Wondrous Fall 2013 Collection, One had High Hopes for Derek Lam, who has in his decade of business produced some quite lovely and impactful collections. For Spring 2014, he might have just produced the best collection in his career so far! He also might have produced the best collection of the Entire New York Fashion Week. Yes, It was that Glorious!

The collection Radiated with a Reserved Calm and Languid Chic that served the ease and artiness of the clothes most brilliantly. The Outsize Gingham pieces that opened the collection hearken back to the great Sportswear past of American Designers and had a Outward Simplicity that was betrayed to be far more involved than the idea of Simple Sportswear. Sportswear it may be, it is Far more Luxe than The American Sportswear of Yore! The clean lines and restrained Aesthetic were only surface... as one inspected further into the clothes it was obvious that Lam has deeper Technical skills that belie the Simple, Puritan Lines of this collection!

The opening salvo of Blown-Up Gingham took all the Saccharine Sweetness usually associated with the print away and made it more grown up and Modern. It was Unfussy and Womanly, Not girlish! The Sharpest outfit being the last... Exit No. 8 A Cap Sleeve top in Black and White worn over Tapered trousers in Black could take any woman in any major City around the Globe from The Office to any other occasion her life dictated, School Meeting, Luncheon with her Girlfriends, Early Dinner with the Man of her life, Family outing... it was Universal in it's ease and it's context of Wearbility!

Model Liu Wen DEVASTATED In Exit No. 11... A Dark Chambray Wrap Coat-Dress that had Absolute Effortless ease ingrained into it's very DNA! It was... Revelatory! Easy! Clean! Spare! Chic! Every catchword that any woman shopping for clothes for her REAL Life would gravitate to! The same Fabric on Herieth Paul at Exit No. 13 was Weekend Sister to the Previous exit and would be at home in Upstate New York as Upper Peninsula Michigan! From a San Francisco Brunch to A Weekend in The Country!

There was So much more to love in this Exactingly Edited collection... But I will only highlight a few more.. Those Handpainted Lace dresses with the cropped tops showed off Lam's Edge but still remained Thoughtful and Wearable whilst being Editorial and A Bit more Urban and Cool! And finally, Lam's Miniscule offerings for evening offered some of the highest impact in the whole of the season. Memorable for their Drop-Dead Slinkiness as well as their Pared down Luxury! Exit No. 26 Glistened with Scores of Densely Embroidered Black Sequins that gave it an almost 3-D Look about it, but also plenty of Laid Back Glamour. The Academy Award Winning Stunner in Strapless Canary Yellow Crepe Georgette Emanated Refined, Restrained Glamour in a way that only YSL once upon a time could evoke! It has perhaps been my favorite piece of the entire season! The Final Exit in the DEEPEST Ink Blue Satin was also going for the Gold and Looked Super Seductive in doing it!

It was a showing of Superior Talent and Scalpel Sharp focus that all culminated in a collection that was Overwhelming in it's Scope! It took real life clothes and elevated them to something far more Ephemeral than the mundane idea of "Everyday" would suggest! It Moved Me. I was Stunned to my core and Pleased beyond Description.

And when a Fashion Show can do that, Chillrens... You Know you have Witnessed Something Divine!



That's All.



Bye4Now!