Derek Lam Channels Nina Simone
PHOTOS: HAO ZENG.
Although Derek Lam’s Spring/Summer ’16 collection quietly echoes some of the ’70s-inspired patchwork suede seen during his Spring/Summer ’15 show, the designer looked to a new muse this season: late jazz singer and civil rights activist Nina Simone. The first model to emerge on the runway paid direct homage to the musician with her hair coiffed into Simone’s signature, short ‘do. As a whole, the collection mixed Simone’s individuality, Lam’s affinity for the ’70s, and the brand’s universal preppy femininity through thick jewelry, bell sleeves, knit babydoll dresses, pantsuits, suede trench coats, and cutout leather shoes.
