Derek Lam

The first outfits to appear on Derek Lam's Spring 2013 runway were met with more than a few looks of surprise. Not that the pieces weren't pleasing; it was just that the autumnal palette of mustard and green seemed to catch most of the sleepy-eyed Sunday crowd a little off guard.

Regardless of those first unexpected hues, this was a collection that exemplified Lam's unique talent for elevating classic sportswear. Silhouettes were straightforward, yes, but up close, there were plenty of intriguing elements at play — asymmetrical seaming, for one. That turned up on everything from a slick leather shift dress with knife pleating at the hem to a killer bilevel trench coat. A series of slim skirts, boxy t-shirts, and straight dresses in geometrically embroidered mesh and amped-up jewel tones were definitely fetching. And those pencil skirts and dresses covered in crumpled paillettes that closed the show? Just the thing to wake the crowd up.

Derek Lam's Spring 2013 show started slowly, but by the time Joan Smalls closed the show in a burgundy laser-cut paillette dress, the collection was wide awake and full of energy. By the time a set of bright pencil skirts paired with perfectly slouched jersey pullovers had commanded their way down the runway, no doubt hundreds of editors had made mental notes of "things I must own." Lam has once again prescribed exactly we want to wear — easy sportswear with a twist. The collection started slow, with a cute, simple plaid dress in such a dowdy color only a model should wear it. The "black, sun, and fatigue" color continued for a few looks before things got interesting, notably the arrival of the perfect trench coat, followed shortly by a bright blue leather top and dress. And then things got really exciting: macramé done in ink, red ochre, tweed, and leather, rendered into textural skirts and dresses. The kicker was in one particularly killer look: easy jersey pullovers, some quilted, some sleeveless, paired with just about the coolest pencil skirts around — think gold leather, multicolored macramé, and bright laser-cut paillettes. This is the look that no doubt made a thousand mental notes — it was so effortlessly chic you can't help but want it in your closet.

• Trends: Macramé, metallic, sporty, lingerie, leather.
• Colors: Burgundy, purple, navy, cocoa, khaki, gray, metallic.
• Key Piece: The macramé pencil skirts and jersey pullovers.
• Accessories: Crocodile slingbacks and pumps.
• Who Should Wear It: Fashion editors (ahem), and effortless girls like Zoe Saldana.

Instead of going with one of the many famous faces he counts as fans, Derek Lam chose blogger Emily Weiss to model the latest lookbook for his diffusion line. The svelte brunette showed off cool leather pants, vibrant prints, boyish silhouettes, and pajama-style details. Lam also kept the unique prints coming; the designer opted to mix bipolar prints for an eclectic look. A cobalt pantsuit exuded powerful appeal, while a flowing maxi dress tapped a more romantically inclined customer. Regardless, Lam's 10 Crosby Spring 2013 is made for the mover and shaker.

Photos: Courtesy of 10 Crosby Derek Lam

"I wanted to take the idea of safari, which is such a cliché, and twist it to make it feel modern," said Derek Lam of his Resort 2013 collection. Those twists included combining giraffe-print skirts and dresses with khaki anoraks and turning olive-green fabric into an elegant dress and pair of pants. The pieces that aren't as well primed for glamorous hunting — like a cherry-red A-line dress — still feature military details like chest pockets. But it's a dress with a bodice made of nylon webbing attached to a leather skirt that best expresses Lam's mission with this collection: to make strong clothing that women can wear no matter where their journeys take them.

Molly Ringwald's character in Pretty in Pink inspired Derek Lam's Resort 2013 collection for his year-old line, 10 Crosby. So it makes sense that Lam would hire flame-haired model Sara Blomqvist to star in the lookbook for the lineup, which depicts what seems to be a glamorous trip back from the corner store. Accessorized almost exclusively by plastic and paper grocery bags bearing the 10 Crosby logo, Blomqvist wears Lam's signature silk pajamas, along with a few borrowed-from-the-boys pieces like a double-breasted blazer and an icy-blue collarless dress shirt with black sleeves. Ringwald's '80s influence is felt in the pleasantly discordant mix of patterns and colors — a red plaid shirt paired with blue-, black-, and white-striped pants, for example, and a plaid blazer over a white shirt and pleated skirt.