Exit Signs

days of rumours surrounding the fate of its creative director Derek Lam, Tod's has released a slightly confusing statement about his future - suggesting that he may be set to leave the label in September after all.
"Following the rumours of an alleged termination of the collaboration between Tod's and Derek Lam, the company confirms that the agreement between the parties is set to terminate on 30/9/12," the statement said, the FT.COM reports. "In the meantime, Tod's is in the process of evaluating its options, considering that, based on the company's future development plans, the role of the creative director of Tod's will be central and even more important. The choice will therefore be directed toward an individual with great creative talent and able to commit the necessary amount of time to the success of the brand."

Although the statement doesn't confirm that Lam will leave on the stated date, rather than renew his contract at that time, phrases such as "the choice" and "evaluating its options" suggest that a new creative director is on the cards; one who can "commit the necessary amount of time to the success of the brand" - perhaps unlike Lam who never gave up his eponymous label?

Updated Monday March 12, 2012, 3.07pm:Derek Lam is said to have departed his post as creative director of Tod's. A report by WWD this afternoon suggests that he is no longer with the label, although neither Lam nor Tod's have confirmed the claim.

After cutting his design teeth at Michael Kors, the San Francisco-born, New York-based designer launched his eponymous label in 2002. After a slow start, when his debut collection failed to find any buyers, Lam came to the attention of the fashion world in 2003 - when he "caused a sensation" at New York Fashion Week in September 2003, US Vogue reported at the time. The following year he was nominated for the CFDA Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for Womenswear - which he won - before becoming a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist later the same year. After creating a capsule collection for Tod's in 2005, he was enlisted as creative director in 2006 - and attracted stars including Gwyneth Paltrow and Anne Hathaway to model for the brand.

Updated Thursday November 30, 2006, 10.12am: Derek Lam is now the creative director of Tod's. The 40-year-old New York designer, whose ready-to-wear collection for the house debuted in the spring, will continue with bi-annual catwalk collections and will now also create a line of fashion-driven handbags and shoes.
"We look forward to working with Derek Lam, one of the most important and exciting design talents," Diego Della Valle, Tod's chairman and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "His work over the past few seasons has demonstrated a great understanding of Tod's as a brand, and we look forward to his contributions to the continuing and growing success of the brand."
Lam told WWD that his new role was a natural expansion of the former job.
"I think it was a matter of being comfortable with how each of us, as individuals, work - getting more familiar with what the Tod's world is and spending much time with Diego and understanding his vision for the brand going forward," he said, adding that he hopes to inject "a sense of youthfulness and new ideas with fabrics and colours. I have a strong point of view about what a customer wants from a luxury brand: It has to be witty, unpretentious and stand or the heritage of beautifully made product."









LAUREN MILLIGAN 14 March 2012
http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/2006/11/30/hot-tods