At a cocktail event hosted by Amanda Brooks on Barneys' newly revamped Co-Op floor, designer Derek Lam officially launched his secondary line, 10 Crosby, and gave a bit of insight into how the new line came into being.
As Lam told the group of assembled editors, he "wanted to design something that would be a challenge."
Specifically, Lam says that a secondary line with a lower price point allowed him to do things that he hadn't previously been able to do with his main line, either for fiscal or design reasons: "Using more cotton ... shapes that are more relaxed ... things that you have to avoid with the main collection because it's more of a luxury customer."
Creating a new line from scratch also affords other freedoms. "There's no one saying, 'Oh it didn't sell last season, so it's not a good idea,'" says Lam.
The collection currently on sale at Barneys Co-Op certainly has a fresh, relaxed sensibility -- lots of colorful separates, slouchy silhouettes. Speaking to the customer he imagines when designing 10 Crosby, Lam laughs, "Can I say it's me as a feminine? It's speaking to me as a customer."
