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.
