Derek Lam’s Chic Collab with Athleta

by Kristen Heinzinger

Last eve, Derek Lam and Athleta celebrated their first-ever collab, Derek Lam 10 C Athleta, at the sportswear brand’s Soho shop. The collection marries Lam’s minimal and feminine designs with Athleta’s performance fabrics. It launches in stores and online today, and is the first of three collections. The collab includes leggings, shorts, dresses, jackets, sweatshirts, and custom-designed sneakers.

“I’ve always been considered an American designer, very interested in American sportswear,” Lam told The Daily. “When we think of American sportswear, it’s always been in the classic sense…Equestrian, skiing, tennis. And now, people are involved in sports that are high-tech. So I wanted to tap into that. It seemed like a natural extension of what it means to be an American sportswear designer.”

Why Athleta versus other sportswear labels? “I felt that they had such great integrity,” Lam said. “I love the fact that they’re really carving out a space that’s not just about what’s of the moment, but what’s long lasting, and also the technology that goes behind making really great product.”

“I love Derek Lam in terms of the design, and I wanted to work with someone who is an amazing designer and is really interested in this space,” Athleta president Nancy Green told The Daily. “Derek really wanted to try these technical fabrics, and so we both thought it would be really interesting. Modern American sportswear is what we are calling it. Athleisure is not a trend, it’s a movement. It’s how people are living their lives.”

 

 

 

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