Derek Lam Spring 2018 Ready-To-Wear...Fashionweekly...On Fow24news.com

“It’s an all-American day,” Derek Lam declared backstage at the Pool in the former Four Seasons this afternoon. “Philip Glass, Philip Johnson, Alexander Calder,” he continued, listing the composer of his show music, the architect of his iconic venue, and the artist whose sculpture hangs in the middle of it. If Lam isn’t yet the household name that those ur-Americans are, give him time. American sportswear is his chosen métier and, lately, he just keeps getting better......

His loose theme for Spring was wanderlust, hence the Western-ish leather snap-front shirt he paired with contrast waistband pants for look one. Lam cycled through other prototypical Americanisms—the camp shirt, military tailoring, jeans, khakis—but his versions are neither costume nor basic. The denim is dark and crisp and worn as a two-piece suit, boxy of shirt and full through the leg; or it was cut on the bias and swirled into a midi skirt that accompanied a plaid blouson smock top. Elevated but easy was the name of the game here, so a military shirt got the suede treatment and a terrific mint suede coat was crosshatched with a harlequin of pewter-y studs. The look that a lot of women left the Pool talking about was an emerald puff-shouldered blouse belted at the waist below a modest cut-out, worn with neat-as-a-pin khakis. Lam also whipped up a silk knotted bodice gown in that khaki color. It was a surprising choice for evening and, as we like to say here in the States, it looked awesome.