American sportswear with a Parisian feel. That's what Derek Lam will bring to Câllas, the vertically integrated Italian brand (co-owned by her husband, Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, and Marco Panzeri) that she previewed at the Chelsea Hotel on Saturday.
Lam joined the company earlier this year as creative director to elevate and bring a point of view to its fashion offering, with a touch of Paris, where he has been living, steeped in both street style and couturiers, mixed with his years of sportswear design in New York.
Among the standouts were a pair of black pants with a button-down corset waist, a khaki poplin shirt dress with a cape back, and a draped black knit dress with a wave effect off the shoulder, worn over black pants. Prices should range from approximately $800 to $2000.
In the early 2000s, alongside a generation of New York brands that included Proenza Schouler, Jason Wu, Thakoon and Phillip Lim, Lam built his business on tailoring and outerwear heavy on leather and fur. He was also creative director of ready-to-wear at Tod's from 2005 to 2010.
In 2019, she closed her collections business to focus on her contemporary brand 10 Crosby, which was acquired by Public Clothing Company in 2020.
After leaving his job at 10 Crosby a year ago, he wasn't sure he would return to fashion. But he said Saturday: “I'm glad to be back.”
For more New York Fashion Week reviews, click here.
