A Look at Resort 2011: Derek Lam

“I’ve always wanted to have this presentation in store!” says Derek Lam of his chicly minimal Crosby Street boutique, which shut up shop for the day to play host to his 2011 resort collection. Here models appeared from behind a 1930s Hollywood-style gold lamé curtain in fifteen strong looks that showcased all the major resort trends: strong blasts of color, shorter silhouettes, sporty knits, and a beginners’ introduction to crochet. If these pre-season shows are anything to go by, knitwear and crochet seem set for a seismic moment, and both were put to great use in Vogue’s favorite look: a short white sweater layered over an asymmetrical-hemmed white dress, finished off with white crocheted socks under woven sandals. “Simple, simple, simple—and clean, clean, clean” is how Lam summed it all up. But his challenge in this seemingly understated collection came in his choice of textural effect: chintz. “It gives a paper quality and brightens the fabric,” he explains. Wrap it all up in an assortment of acid-bright hues (fluorescent orange, phosphorus coral, and iris) and what have you got? Subtle sophistication with a distinctly modern twist.