Since launching in 2011, Derek Lam 10 Crosby has become a diffusion-line success story, complete with a stand-alone flagship coming to New York's Soho in October. The new Resort collection had an emboldened sense of confidence, which was underscored by sharp, nipped-in silhouettes that retained the brand's signature ease. "We really wanted to refocus on bringing things back to the body," said vice president of design, Liz Giardina. The new lineup opened with a knife-edged pencil skirt cut from a turmeric-hued stretch cotton. It offered reinforcement in all the right places, and also boasted exposed darting and decorative cover stitching—details typically masked on the inside of garments—that showcased its quality construction. Paired with an electric-coral sweater, which came layered over a gauzy shirt and was cinched at the natural waist with a piece of drawcord, the tailored skirt look was a definite standout.
The 10 C modus operandi is taking something classic and then giving it a clever twist. Speaking of clever, another highlight here was a series of surprisingly flattering, elongated bra tops that wrapped around the ribcage. A pinstriped cotton iteration, in particular, felt fresh styled with a cropped jacket that came updated in a bonded sweatshirt jersey. "It's less about the crop and more about the overall proportion, and instructing our customers how to wear that in an accessible way," said Giardina. On the more relaxed side of the sensuality coin was a loosely clinging black wrap dress that looked modern teamed with sporty sneakers. All in all, lots of positive developments at 10 Crosby.
