Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
On the scale of fashion designer personalities, Derek Lam falls closer to the Alber Elbaz end of the spectrum than the Karl Lagerfeld one. The designer's in Grazia today talking about his favorite things, and they include other designers, coffee, and his mom. Famous fashion designers: they're just like us!
On his favorite up-and-coming designers:
"I love what Joseph Altuzarra is doing, I would say he's arrived rather than being completely up and coming but his work is really exciting. Tabitha Simmons' shoe collection also is really exciting - the quality, beauty and integrity that goes into her work is amazing."
On K.Mids:
"I think she's done such an amazing job. She doesn't have a professional choosing her wardrobe which I think is such a rarity. She does tailoring really well and everybody can take away from how she has made style choices which are both suitable to her position and her body shape. I do love her the most when she is in that ethereal mode in a chiffon or Grecian style dress. I'd love to put her in something like that."
On his preferred style of tailoring:
"I'm not such a big fan of rigid, very structured clothing. I love tailoring, but when a woman's body is lost in her clothing or it looks like the clothing wears her – I hate that."
On his dream client:
"I actually have to say whenever I see my mother wear my clothes it make me feel so happy. She's close to 70 and still loves fashion. I'm always so pleasantly surprised when I see that she is happy enough with the work that I do to wear it."
On his non-fashion-related hobbies:
"My greatest pleasure is reading. It takes me away more than anything else and it's a relationship that I never want to end because it separates me from my thoughts. My favourite right now is Zadie Smith."
He spends the weekends in Fire Island drinking coffee, so tell him hi for us the next time you're out there.
· Derek Lam on Kate Middleton, Fashion Telepathy & New York Style [Grazia]
· Derek Lam's Affordable Collection for Kohl's Is Inspired by Brazilian Ladies Who Lunch [Racked]
· Derek Lam Talks About his Dress Collaboration With eBay [Racked]