Resort. It just keeps getting bigger. Shows start earlier in May and go later in June, while more and more designers are staging mini shows in place of the informal presentations of the recent past. Let's hope the season doesn't lose its intimacy completely. We learn so much about how designers' brains work when they talk about their clothes.
Derek Lam had plenty on his mind this afternoon at the Sean Kelly Gallery. "I always hear that women designers design for themselves. But so do I. I want longer legs, I want thinner arms," he said by way of introducing a pair of super-high-waisted white flares. The Lam silhouette for Resort was slimmer, less round than it has been in recent seasons—a point driven home by those floor-scraping trousers. Even better: "People say I love the seventies, but the year I think I really love is 1966." Why? Because in addition to it being his birth year, ’66 was the turning point between "madame couture" and the dawn of sportswear.
Such distinctions may matter little to the client, but Lam's recent experiences at trunk shows reminded him that his is a sophisticated customer, one who appreciates the versatility of a tunic (wear it solo or over pants) and the mix-and-match potentialities of coordinating separates like his peplum shell and flares in orange and burgundy plaid. A few other things they'll like: the simplicity of a narrow-fit polo shirt worn with an A-line suede skirt, a gorgeous camel coat with a subtle hourglass silhouette, and the resonant color pairing of a sky blue suede jacket and a sculptural burgundy crepe de Chine dress.
