Derek Lam is a fashion designer from San Francisco, California and is of Chinese parentage. He is known for his pretty, girly fabrics backed by clean, crisp silhouettes. Signature pieces include raw silk sheath dresses with plunging necklines, wide-leg trousers in various wools and dainty cashmere pea coats cinched with stiff silk belts.
After graduating from Parson School in 1990 of Design, Derek started out as an assistant for Michael Kors and worked there for four years. Lam then moved to Hong Kong to work for a large retail brand. Following his Hong Kong experience, Derek returned to New York and was appointed vice President of Designer with the Kors line.
In 2002, Lam debuted his eponymous line at Olympus Fashion Week. He debuted at the New York Fashion Week in September 2003. In the same year, Lam won the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for new designers. He won the CFDA Perry Ellis Swarovski Award for new designers in 2005. He now works with Tod’s to create ready-to-wear.