Derek Lam


Derek Lam is an American fashion designer. In addition to designing his own line, Lam was Tod's creative director for ready-to-wear and accessories from 2005 until 2010.

Background

Lam was born in San Francisco, California and is of Chinese American parentage. Lam is the youngest of three children in his fourth-generation family. His parents had a business that imported clothes from Asia, and his grandparents ran a successful garment factory in San Francisco that specialized in bridal and wedding dresses. Lam graduated in 1990 from Parsons School of Design in Manhattan.

Career

Lam began working as an assistant for Michael Kors in the 90s 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 Design for Michael Kors' Kors line.
In 2003, he launched his own label. He debuted at the New York Fashion Week in September 2003. In 2005, Lam won the CFDA Perry Ellis Swarovski Award for new designers. In addition to clothes, Derek Lam and Derek Lam 10 Crosby brands have shoes, handbags and eyewear collections. In February 2010, Derek Lam launched an e-commerce website selling the collections of ready-to-wear and accessories. In 2015, a fragrance collection was launched under the Derek Lam 10 Crosby brand.

Personal life

Derek Lam is married to Jan Hendrik-Schlottmann, also his business partner. Lam lives in Gramercy Park, Manhattan.

Filmography