Last week, Derek Lam 10 Crosby opened its first store in Soho. It's a big moment for the brand. For Pre-Fall, vice president of design Liz Giardina revisited Lam's signatures—easy silhouettes, masculine vs. feminine contrast, rich colors, and prints—and gave them a cool, boho-chic spin. Her starting point was Lygia Carvalho Pape, a Brazilian artist who specialized in woodcut prints in the '50s and '60s. Stamped on rice paper, the wood's natural grain lent an earthy vibe to the artwork. Giardina developed an original print on cream canvas denim with blown-up, blocky shapes and a bark pattern. The woodcut concept also influenced the way the garments were constructed: Sleek silhouettes and sculptural fabrics (like bonded crepe and raw denim) held their shapes on or off the body, and coats had giant square pockets that appeared to be tacked on with tiny silver studs. Many of the clothes were pieced together with those studs in lieu of zippers or buttons, like a double-slit dress that could be let out up to the hipbones. A gold bar holding up that leggy dress was actually a removable necklace—a first for the brand. Accessories were a big focus: Giardina expanded the shoe range and introduced a bucket bag. The real highlights of the collection, though, were the fabrics. They're key to setting the brand apart in a crowded contemporary space. There was lots of leather, like a pair of supersoft navy trousers; glossy haircalf in rich shades of Mediterranean blue, "redwood" (a brownish burgundy), and dove gray; and ditsy-print silk georgette, which lent some nice contrast (plus a hint of '70s flair) to all the structure.
