Derek Lam Spring 2012 Collection: Timeless with California flair

As a born and raised Californian, designer Derek Lam never lets that influence stray far from his designs. Even with his Spring 2012 collection that was shown off at New York Fashion Week, you can see some very Californian styles and colors peeking into his structured sportswear.

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Taking something so timeless like a trench or slim shift dress, the pop of color brings it out of being just a regular basic to something with a little more intrigue. Even the black and white is kicked up a notch with how he used the black as an accent design color.

Going a bit more relaxed, there were a lot of very clean and sleek-lined pieces that definitely fit for that working woman mood. Though the positive is that you could also separate the pieces and work them into outfits that are a bit more casual and fun for a night out as well. It was definitely an eye-catcher to see some of the patterns, though I really loved that white blazer - so crisp and bright for Spring!

However…with how California’s mood is generally a bit more colorful and bolder, I wasn’t too big of a fan of some of the prints. Especially when it was the dominating feature in some of the outfits. Though I can see the first one working a bit more, but something about the design of the other two throws me and I would choose to pass.

Back to carefree and light dresses. A bit of a play on the sheer trend here, with some of the panels and a bit of the skirt. But it’s nothing too revealing, which is good. Definitely just one of those perfect sundresses to just throw on, though these get more points for their contrast to not be just a solid piece of fabric.

More of a trend play, with the slight sheer touch. Though really, they were just so gorgeous to look at and a bit more interesting with how they were constructed, especially that last one with the tough leather.

A bit on the fence, since I like the one on the right a lot. With the sparkle, how could you resist? The one on the left is almost on the same level of intrigue, though I do wonder about those cutouts and where they hit. Though in some sense, maybe it would work as a nice throw-on after the beach.

Ending the show were these flowy gowns and jumpsuit that were dressed in such California colors. Though my favorite had to have been the nude pink in the middle, which might also show that the maxidress trend isn’t dead just yet. Definitely loving the color choices of the other two though, so tropically rich!

Lot of pieces to like in this collection, especially with how they could fit in with all sorts of lifestyles. Though you could totally take a few to just take your everyday style up a notch, considering how everything is crafted so crisply and with such clean lines. It would work pretty much anywhere.

You can check out the full collection at Style.com.