Derek Lam found 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.
