Who

A rising fashion star, Lam designs collections under his own name and is the creative director for Tod's.

Backstory

Derek is the third-generation of Lams in the clothing business: His grandparents owned a bridal gown factory in San Francisco's Chinatown and his parents ran a custom tailoring shop in the neighborhood. Lam left the West Coast for Connecticut College in the mid-'80s, and later attended grad school at Parsons before beginning his career working for Michael Kors and Geoffrey Beene. Following several years working for a retail chain in Hong Kong, Lam returned to Kors in the late '90s as the vice president for the KORS line. He left in 2002 when he and his business partner/boyfriend Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann founded the Derek Lam label.

The early days weren't easy: The duo struggled to pay the rent, Lam's first collection bombed on the runway, and he didn't sell a single piece to buyers after his first show. But his spring '04 sophomore effort earned raves, and later that year he was nominated for the CDFA award for emerging talent. He ended up losing to Proenza Schouler's Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCullough, but in 2005 Lam walked away with the coveted honor. He was named creative director of Tod's in 2006.

Of note

Lam's simple, feminine shapes, created from luxe materials like cashmere and silk, established his reputation. He's now branched out to handbags, shoes, and sunglasses, and landed a prominent mentor, Domenico De Sole, the former chief executive of Gucci, who helped revive the brand alongside designer Tom Ford in the '90s.

In 2005, Lam caught the attention of Tod's, the Italian accessories house famous for its driving loafers, and they asked him to design several collections for the company. Apparently, they were pleased with the results: He was named Tod's creative director in 2006. He's since been doing double duty, breathing fresh air into the brand while working on his eponymous label, which won the CFDA award for accessory design in 2007.

For the record

Perhaps his most public moment came in 2005 when he dressed Dubya's daughter, Barbara, for Inauguration Day in January 2005. The outfit consisted of a blue cashmere coat, ivory skirt and yellow blouse.

Personal

Lam continues to have both a personal and professional partnership with Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, a German-born veteran of the fashion and fragrance world and a former veep of marketing for Prada's beauty division. The couple has an apartment in the West Village and a weekend home on Fire Island.