Derek Lam, image from Teen Vogue

How did I do it? I emailed someone and asked very very very nicely, and kept following-up. You know that adage about the squeaky wheel? It works. But be sure to squeak very softly and sweetly. Then, a lovely PR person will email you with the message that you get 20 minutes TODAY at 5PM Eastern.

And that, boys and girls, is all there is to it. Like Conan O'Brien said: "If you work really really hard and you're kind to people, amazing things will happen." Actually, it probably came together because Derek Lam is just a genuinely sweet person, full of fun, ideas, a love of fashion, fashion people, and his hometown of San Francisco. I send a thousand thanks to everyone at Derek Lam, and my good friend Jill Lynch for thinking of the whole project in the first place!

Published here with permission from Genesis magazine.

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Derek Lam Fall 2010, from Style.comPart of your development began in your grandparents’ garment factory here in San Francisco. Was it understood that you would enter the family business from the get-go, or did your family try to encourage you into other directions?

I was only about 5 – I was a child. So there was no opinion about that. I just liked the familial atmosphere of the place. I knew it was great to be in a place surrounded by relatives working together. It was very comforting.

So when did you really begin to learn about garment construction?

When I went to Parsons.

Did you go to Parsons right from SI?

I went to Boston College for a year and a half and then transferred to Parsons.

High school is usually a time best forgotten for most of us (myself included.) But, is there something about your years at SI that you think helped to shape who you are today? Was there an experience there that really helped to shape your creative side, or was there an activity you were a part of that helped move you in the design direction?

There were two classes. The first was what was then called “Social Studies” – about people, what makes them do what they do, culture, defining who you are, with analysis and history. The second were my art classes. I had one teacher – Ms. Wolf? – Yes, Katie Wolf, she’s still there. – She is? Wow that’s amazing. I loved her classes. The last time I came home, my Mom asked me if I wanted my SI yearbook and I started flipping through it; I was like “I remember this person, and this person…”  

I also really loved my English classes. They gave me a great love of literature and writing, and all of that contributes to the arts. (Notice I didn’t say science?)

I enjoyed the experience there because while SI is very academically motivated, they’re very good about educating “the whole person”.

Tod's Shade Bag, designed by Derek Lam, image from BagSnobIf there are high school students at St. Ignatius, or anywhere, who are interested in fashion design, what suggestions do you have for them? Is there anything they can do at a young age to help cultivate their eye for design? Or anything they can do to get into the practice of design?

I’m not sure how you could cultivate it - I didn’t know what a fashion designer was at that age. I went to Parsons in New York City to study art. I had a curiosity about art and culture which then led me to fashion design.

Being in a place like San Francisco, there’s so much culture that gives people curiosity, the city reveals culture everywhere, which is all a part of art and design.

I know that film has inspired your collections in the past, such as In the Mood for Love in 2004, and Ascenseur pour l’Echafaud in the Fall of 2009. One of my efforts here in San Francisco is organizing a bi-monthly film screening called Style Cinema SF. We screen fashion films, or films that have some sort of a strong aesthetic. Do you have other favorite films that you return to again and again for inspiration?

Barry Lyndon – that’s amazing…The Shining…I love Chinatown. For me it’s about the cinematic quality, the story told with costume and atmosphere. I like to think of my collection as a movie with no parts. I want to create mood, desire, and fantasy - that same cinematic quality, and also prompt people to think “I can have that in my life as well.”

I also know that a lot of your collections are influenced by place; I wondered if you had a San Francisco collection cooking in your brain somewhere. And, what era of San Francisco history really speaks to you?

That’s an interesting question because my collection for Fall [2010] I called “The Myth of the West”. I was thinking about the people who settled in San Francisco, who created a European city in the wilderness of the West. They were from the East, bringing their culture, values, etc., and created the mythology of “The West”. Cowboys, gold mining – our western legends. It’s clearly not an eastern, pilgrim culture in that setting.

I know that you worked for Michael Kors for years and you both are the capital-S in American sportswear. How do you see sportswear responding to the times right now? Is there still a place for luxury in American sportswear?

That’s interesting because a lot of Europeans say “why do you call it “American Sportswear?” because to them sportswear is what we would call “activewear”. Sportswear is made up of items that are easy to mix, and yes, have a basis in sports. (Riding, hunting, etc.) When you explain that there’s suiting, sportswear, and evening, then the Europeans begin to understand what it is. For me, it’s the most valid point of view on how to dress. Ultimately it’s the consumer who makes it work for them – how they use it in their wardrobes.

How do you incorporate the luxury? Is it in a design detail, the material, the fabrication…?

Yes, all of those things. I’m always looking for ways to incorporate luxury into items. I love to incorporate hand-work into pieces. I love working with modern mills - those who make bonded, technical fabrics. But I also love working with the couture mills. For me, luxury is a new point of view with a taste of the past.

Derek Lam Fall 2010 from Style.comName one garment that you will never get tired of designing/interpreting.

Trench coats – I do a trench coat every season. They’re sexy, mysterious, and in New York, or I guess San Francisco too - you can throw on a coat and you’re dressed.

How do you define or compare the “Derek Lam girl” and the “Tod’s girl”? Are they the same person or is it a different personality, a different style?

Derek Lam is personal, it’s what I want to say – a dialogue with my customer. For Tod’s, it’s thinking about their brand. Tod’s is modern classic with Italian flare and a modern “pep”. I suppose the customer for both is looking for my signature. How is Derek interpreting something, what is perspective is Derek offering? (By the way, I’m saying this as one of my customers, I’m not talking about myself in the third person.) I design for both brands but filtered from within my own point of view.

Do you feel the pressure to create a popular “It” bag every season, such as a YSL Muse or Balenciaga Le Dix?

No…no, that’s a lot of marketing. Every season is a fresh start. I’m trying to determine what intrigues, what’s desirable to the customer. I think about what’s missing in their wardrobe. This is much more important than any commercial endeavor.

Plus, there’s really no science to it.

No there isn’t, or, that’s not my role. There probably is a science to it, but it’s someone in marketing who determines that.

Derek Lam & Vanessa Getty at Foreign Cinema, from 7x7I read in Women’s Wear Daily last fall that when you came to San Francisco for a visit, you asked your Mom to cook up some abalone with shitake mushrooms. What are some of your other favorite San Francisco flavors? Which places or neighborhoods do you always love to visit when you come here?

I ask my Mom for a “usual” home meal – whatever we would usually eat at home. So, while I really don’t have a specific request, I just leave it up to her. I love to visit the Ferry Building; I’ll go down there and have some oysters or just walk around. I love to see what’s going on down there.

The last time I came to San Francisco Vanessa Getty hosted a party for me at something Cinema? Foreign Cinema, yes, it’s one of my favorites. I had never been there and it was great. When I visit, I’m kind of like a tourist, rediscovering the city I grew up in. I also like the place that has California cuisine – up on Market Street and I can’t think of the name. Zuni?  Yes, the Zuni Café. They have the best chicken! Yes, the chicken with croutons? Yes! Their food is so good! It’s always my first lunch or first dinner when I arrive in San Francisco.

The next time you visit you should try NOPA – it was founded by some of the people from Zuni. What’s it called? NOPA – N O P A – their roast chicken is amazing too. Where is it? It’s at Hayes & Divisadero. Oh – it’s close to Zuni, sort of. Yes, Hayes Valley-ish. Their chicken is divine – I sort of embarrass myself I enjoy it so much. That’s how Zuni is for me!...

Yes. I am interviewing this man in about three hours. Very nervous and excited and starstruck. Going out now to walk and think and absorb some fresh air, then I'll return to drink a kombucha and be ready. I'll let you know what happens and fill in the rest of the details later...

Elizabeth Taylor wearing her ruby & diamond suite from Mike Todd in 1958; photograph by Mike Todd

Always an essential element to every red carpet look is the jewelry. Neil Lane, Fred Leighton, Bulgari – the big names definitely come out to bedeck Hollywood’s brightest stars with bling to beat the band. I always feel a little cheated having to watch this opulence from long distance; not just because I’m hundreds of miles away, but also because those TV cameras just don’t zoom in close enough on the good stuff. So, before settling in with your remote and a glass of bubbly on Sunday night, why not start your day with a closer look at the real thing?

Oscar day is the perfect occasion to pay a visit to the Cartier and America exhibit at the Legion of Honor museum. Not only because it will prepare your eye for the red carpet event in the evening, but also because you will see some incredible pieces of jewelry that have their own place in Hollywood history. Here's the plan: sleep late, brunch, Cartier and America, home for the Oscars. Perfect Sunday, right? Read on...

Rock crystal & diamond bracelets by Cartier, 1930. Owned by Gloria Swanson.

Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard" wearing the bracelets above.First, and probably my most favorite, are the rock crystal and diamond articulated bracelets worn by Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard. This pair is big, bold, simple, and certainly could be worn today with ease. There’s also Grace Kelly’s 10 carat engagement ring (worn famously in High Society) and also Dame Elizabeth Taylor’s own ruby and diamond suite given to her by her second husband, Mike Todd, in 1957. There are also two extravagantly engineered pieces made for famous Mexican film star Maria Felix: an articulated diamond and enamel snake necklace, and a pair of glittering crocodiles that can be worn alone as a pair of bracelets or together as a dramatic necklace.

The exhibit is full of famous pieces from the glamorous worlds of society and art alike. I found the background descriptions and history to be just as enticing as the pieces themselves – like a juicy issue of Vanity Fair with jewelry on the side. Treasures that once belonged to the Duchess of Windsor, Daisy Fellowes, Doris Duke, Barbara Hutton, and Linda Lee Thomas (Mrs. Cole Porter) dot the exhibit, hinting at the colorful, glittering lives of those who once wore them. 

Crocodile Necklace (also separates into 2 braclets) by Cartier, 1975. Owned by Maria Felix.The house of Cartier is well known for its crisp art deco motifs and the signature leopard designs, but this exhibit also showcases the other lesser-known hallmarks of the brand. It is in this show that one can see the design and engineering that goes into each piece of Cartier, from the comfort of articulated joinery to the clever ingenuity of converting a pendant to a brooch to a bracelet. This type of masterful creativity and design are what make a true luxury brand great. Another house signature is shown in the choice of the gemstones; Cartier was always careful to choose specific color shades in each gem so that there is a certain “Cartier” coral and a “Cartier” sapphire, etc. This remarkable point of consistency and quality spans the many decades of design on display in the exhibit, reinforcing the enduring craftsmanship of the brand.

Cartier and America is an exhibit that shows how flawlessly art and design can combine in one; in beautiful, functional, wearable pieces of luxury. The glamour of Hollywood and the jet-set of yesteryear are just an added bonus that will certainly set the proper tone for your intense session of Oscar-viewing.

Cartier and America at the Legion of Honor Museum

Lincoln Park (34^th Avenue & Clement St.)
Tuesday – Sunday 9:30AM – 5:15PM
$10 adults; $7 seniors, $6 youths 13 – 17; members and children under 12 are free
$10 surcharge for Cartier and America

I've been told that sometimes when I write about women I love, that my posts become sapphic. That's okay with me. This post will be of the sapphic variety, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. No, I'm not trying to kiss-up, this is just how this post came together. And no, I don't care if it gets re-tweeted by @peoplesrev, but that would be fun.

When I went to fashion school at FIDM San Francisco (8 years ago now,) I was put into a little exclusive group of students and we stuck together through all our classes until we graduated. We were special because we had all already had college degrees and were working full time. Every Tuesday & Thursday night (and sometimes Wednesdays too) at 6 PM for 2 ½ years, we showed up with our assignments, got critiqued, got lectured, and got through the evening. We were a tired, stressed, underpaid little family of friends, but we kept each other together. Most of us worked in the fashion world by day during school, and continued on to even better companies and better jobs post-graduation.

We were vastly different from the rest of the girls who went to FIDM who weren’t in this group. Those girls were fresh out of high school, drove BMWs, had beautiful blown-out hair, wore skinny jeans and off-the-shoulder tops, and could barely fulfill their English requirement. Okay, so maybe that’s a generalization, but it’s pretty close to the truth.  

At the time I was working in the corporate offices of a major fashion luxury brand, and felt like I was ahead in this matter. The real world doesn’t hire fashion twiglets like these girls, right? They may be in school because their rich parents don’t know what to do with them, but beyond that? The real world wants people with a work ethic, who answer in complete sentences, not people who just sit there, look vacantly pretty, and leave at 4PM for happy hour. That’s how it works, despite what they may show you on TV. Still, the twiglets kept coming (and thriving) in the fashion world of my experience, and there's just no Twiglet-busters to call in dire circumstances.

This was why I was so surprised when Lauren Conrad got hired at Kelly Cutrone’s People’s Revolution in LA. True, she was at the time the anchor “character” of a white-hot MTV reality show, and while the hire was clearly scripted, I could sense that Kelly Cutrone wouldn’t have hired her if she thought the girl was pure fluff and nonsense. The same goes for Whitney Port. However, I could be the one who's wrong here; just based upon the talent and reputation of Ms. Cutrone, she obviously picks her favorites with a very discerning eye.

Like everyone, I wanted more Cutrone after The Hills and The City. She was the one balanced voice of rationality on those shows, consistently calling bullshit when appropriate, with a “fucking” for extra emphasis. A Twiglet-buster extraordinaire. It was refreshing to watch her work on these shows, but you could also tell that this effort was meant these girls to wise-up and get real about the working world.

With the debut of Bravo's Kell on Earth, you could see that this was indeed true. People’s Revolution serves as a nurturing microcosm of the fashion world, running on tough love and realistic expectations. If you’re smart and contribute, you stay. If you can’t hack it, you leave. Ms. Cutrone and her partners give more than a fair dose of chances to people, even to those who clearly won’t rise with the cream.

Olvia, Whitney, Roxy & Erin - Fashion Twiglet Convention (Erin excepted!)In one episode of The City, when Ms. Cutrone rightly expressed her disappointment to Roxy and Whitney for in-fighting during a fashion show. Roxy, in her style, responded with: “She didn’t even say one nice thing,” to which Kelly immediately let it rip. While this scene was especially gratifying since we all love a good Cutrone-style dressing-down, you could tell that Ms. Cutrone doesn’t need to justify herself to anyone. If Roxy can’t even figure that out after first-hand interaction, then she is the ultimate dippy fashion twiglet. Badly done Roxy, goodbye.

I spent this past weekend reading Ms. Cutrone’s new book If You Have to Cry, Go Outside from cover to cover, and found it just as refreshing, forthright, and exhilarating as the lady is on television. It’s a tale full of humor, wisdom, spirituality, and business-savvy, all of which make it equally engaging and practical. I’ve already recommended it to a few friends, especially those who’ve been in the fashion world for a few years. (For us, it's especially exciting to know someone in the industry IS doing something in the effort of twiglet extermination.)

My friend Lee & I talked about it the other night and she mentioned “I told my team that Kelly Cutrone was my hero, and that ‘if you have to cry, go outside’ was my new office rule.” And with a twinkling, wicked little smile she added: “ I think they’re all scared of me now.” We both agreed that we were this close to flying to New York and banging on the door of People’s Revolution to tell Kelly we wanted to work for her, even just to provide some Operations organization to get the printers up and working. Heck, I’d probably even do it for free.

I’m so happy that the industry I love - the fashion world of so much fluff and twiglet-dom, has someone like Kelly Cutrone to knock heads together and get the shit done. I love someone who doesn’t compromise on quality or expectations, who balances a cocktail of fear and love to get results, but who is inherently full of kindness and joie de vivre.

Kelly Cutrone is a teacher for all of us, in all types of business and life, and although I may never meet her she'll be one of my idols for years to come. Vive la Cutrone!

Enjoy!

Oliver Peoples' Guiselle Sunglasses

However, I think a fantastic detriment to the habit of loss is to invest in a really great pair of sunglasses and tend to them like they're your baby. That's what I did when I first bought a pair of Oliver Peoples sunglasses way back in 2003. I had some money and really wanted to get a fantastic bit of eyewear. There comes a time in every girl's life when she needs to step it up in the accessories department, and 2003 was my year to do this.

The choice was perfect. A golden amber plastic frame, brown but not too dark lens, and while I knew the label was luxe, I loved that it wasn't flashed all over the place. Simple, understated, and flattering. What more could I ask for?

True, the price tag was quite a bit more than what I was used to, but I had resolved to make a strong investment in something I was going to be wearing a lot. I'm not sure what I paid, but I think it was around $300. Steep, but considering just how much wear I got out of them, the price really worked out!

Me in my Oliver Peoples (right) & my friend Genevieve (left) in Ensenada.See, I lost those very Oliver Peoples sunglasses this week. They've vanished into thin air. (Okay, there may be one additional place where I may have left them, but haven't had a chance to look into it yet.) This is my first meaningful sunglass loss, and I'm so very sad about it. These sunglasses were simply fantastic. I wore them almost every day for SEVEN YEARS. I wore them on my face, on my head, on long business trips, and short pleasure trips. They got sprayed with noxious liquor at Papas & Beer in Ensenada, Mexico and sauntered along the Champs-Élysées. They even rode (and ran) with me during both of my triathlons, and the weeks of training that went into those races.

2003 seems like such a long time ago. Thinking back I've thought of all that's happened over those years, good and bad, and while I've changed handbags, wallets, jobs, apartments, boyfriends, jeans, coats, haircuts, and even hair colors (strictly natural now,) the sunglasses have remained the same.

Since I've lost them, I've thought about the investment and I realize that those Oliver Peoples sunglasses were the best $300 I've ever spent. If you look at the cost per wear, it really gets amazing. Even if I wore them half-time, divided out over seven years that's 1278 days of wear. Divided by $300, that works out to..... $0.23 cents per wear. Yeah.

I can't see my exact frame on the Oliver Peoples website at the moment. I thought of looking inside my frames to check the name, but I had forgotten that they're gone. Le sigh. The closest thing I can find that they look like are the Guiselle, but without the metallic edge. To replace them, I'm thinking a great burgundy frame or a classic tortoise would be fantastic. It would match the mood I'm in these days, or at least the mood I aspire to these days.

Yes, times are tough and while I know it would be a sound investment, $390 is very much out of my league at the moment. The barely-surviving-on-freelance salary doesn't afford many luxuries like this any longer. But still, I'm okay to just moon over them from afar and know that if I had the money, these sunglasses would last me well into the next decade. Barring any unexpected losses!

For as much as this is a winning combination for the brand, I do wish they'd switch it up a bit more often. Where are the bold prints from just a few years ago? Anyways, I digress.

Things that were a lovely surprise were the new J. Crew Collection handbags. The first one I saw was the Metallic Beacon Hobo. Lots of cargo room with a soft, casual shape, and in a lightweight metallic crackled leather. The short brown leather straps are the perfect finish. I really need a new handbag, and this one would be the perfect thing for every day, and it would carry me through until next Fall.

But wouldn't a luscious black leather bag be a more practical choice? To entertain that notion, J. Crew quickly presented me with the Grommet Parlour Hobo in supple black leather with golden brass grommets. The double-length straps would make this especially versatile around the city. A great look for a punky yet polished, professional ensemble.

Both bags are really reasonably priced too, at just $298, which is a great price for a piece that will last for years - even after being worn practically every day! Now which one to choose?

But over the years I've found that the thing I love most is the character of Holly. Like the other much-adored New York Holly (Golightly), she's a kooky mixed-up mess and has a fashion sense to match. Even still, there are certain elements that are pure perfection simply because the character owns the look so completely. Like Annie, her style also incorporates menswear, but with some unexpected feminine elements that make the look much softer. Her look is sweet and airy, high and low, full of vintage, objet trouvé pieces that probably came from a boyfriend's closet or a local flea market. Even at her worst, Holly's sartorial mix shows the true New York bohemian that lies within.

When we first meet Holly at the beginning of the film, it's a family Thanksgiving at her sister Hannah's house. Although the sisters are close, it's clear that Holly is harboring a few issues deep down. Her black and white floral print dress is topped by a classic mens houndstooth blazer, cinched at the waist with a belt. A scattering of vintage brooches on the lapel softens the look, but this structured style manifests the nervous discomfort she has in the scene.

Holly is a bit of a mess, and we're shown that her frenetic self-destruction has been going on for a while. When we see Holly & Mickey's first date in a flashback, she's smoking incessantly with one hand, and snorting coke with the other. Her crisp white blazer is totally out of place at the punk show she chooses to take them too, and she is equally out of place later on during Bobby Short's show at The Carlysle. She's over-accessorized herself - a scarf here, big necklaces there, and wrists full of big bracelets - it's all too much. While Holly claims she's hip, chastising Mickey for not being fun, she's the one that's completely insecure.

While Holly makes continued attempts in the acting world, she and her friend April (played by Carrie Fisher) open the Stanislavski Catering Company to earn some money on the side. It's interesting to note that Holly asks her sister Hannah (already a successful actress) to help her to pick an outfit for her audition. Hannah (played by Mia Farrow) is a classic through and through, so it's no surprise that she would lead Holly toward this buttoned-up ensemble that resembles a suit from the 1940s. It's also no surprise that Holly bombs the audition. The vintage style does seem to suit Holly, but she's still uncomfortable in her own skin and seems small on the stage.

Immediately after her audition, April comes in and knocks her song out of the ballpark, effectively making Holly a footnote in the open call. As they walk down the street, the two friends have an argument about a man they've both been dating, and the friendship (as well as the Stanislavski Catering Company) soon comes to an end. I love this look because while April looks like the standard 1980s New Yorker, Holly shows her vintage ecclecticism to full effect. A man's topcoat is paired with a vintage cloche, bright scarves, brooches, a huge basket tote (de rigeur in the 1980s), and finally a charming pair of Fair Isle mittens.

At the next Thanksgiving, Holly has given up on acting and is trying her hand at writing. While this makes for some conflict with Hannah, you can see that she's beginning to pull herself together. Her spunky personality is beginning to come through and she seems much more relaxed and self-assured. Her kicky ensemble of trousers, baseball jacket, and dark green Jack Purcell sneakers is so fantastic that I'd wear it even today. When we see her arguing with Hannah in the next scene, she's beginning to mix her punk sensibility with her soft, vintage side. The 1940s-cut dress is perfectly embellished by another scattering of brooches (possibly the same group from the first Thanksgiving?) and a pair of punk chokers. In this scene it's clear that Holly is coming together while Hannah is coming apart.

My favorite Holly outfit (and one of my favorite film ensembles ever,) comes when Mickey and Holly reunite in a record store. Holly has clearly come into her own and is freely mixing her favorite pieces with confidence and charm. A vintage sailor's blouse is covered by a classic jean jacket and then a masculine top coat finished with her usual touch of sparkling brooches. A jaunty black beret is also given the brooch treatment, finishing the look to perfection. It's obvious that she's come full circle, is happy, ready for a real career, and even a real love.

When Holly reads Mickey her script in the next scene, she's wearing a breezy oversized plaid shirt and a black menswear vest; a pairing which is back in style again today, 24 years later. Her scarf is tied in a bow in her hair, bringing a sweet touch of femininity. She seems to have grown younger through the course of the film, even as years have passed. As we say goodbye to Holly & Mickey (for another year), they're seen in a long shot in the park, where Holly has covered this outfit with a vintage fur coat, bringing a self-assured and glamorous finish to her quirky look.

Every time I watch this film I want to go shop on Haight Street and find a vintage sailor's blouse and a few more brooches. Or, at the very least I want to find some Grandpa's closet and raid it for funky old coats and hats.

I think that Holly shows a great lesson of life: that you are what you wear, even if it takes you a long time to put together the right ensemble.

The big eyes with heavy brows were framed perfectly by a band of bangs, both long and short at different points in time.

As with most women, the shorter coiff makes Martinelli appear especially youthful, and more than a little similar to Liza Minelli. Perhaps in another decade she'd have been the perfect Sally Bowles?

From the opening credits of The Trial, in which she plays a spooky courthouse clerk.

Glamour like this only happened during the 1960s. Likewise, the hairstyle.

I just had to include this one - a priceless candid. Elsa Martinelli is second from the right next to the great Marlene Dietrich. At the far left, is Barbra Streisand wearing fabulous leopard from top to toe. I'm not sure who the other two ladies are, but all of them are in the front row at the Chanel fashion show in 1966.