Derek Lam Is Working on His Own Diffusion Line Separate From eBay

Derek Lam's diffusion line for eBay has been a convenient way for the designer to reel in potential clientele for a forthcoming lower-priced line under his own label, it turns out. The sixteen-piece Derek Lam for eBay collection was shown last month during New York Fashion Week and has now been narrowed down to five dresses based on votes from eBay customers. The slick part? Part of the voting process asked eBay users to give their e-mail addresses so that they could be notified when the dresses go on sale, and Lam might have designs on using the same e-mail list to reach out to potential customers when launching his own diffusion line in a few months.

Reports Women's Wear Daily:
The timing [for the eBay line] was fortuitous, said [Derek Lam CEO Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann], since the designer is launching a diffusion line in the second half of the year. Sample making is under way for that line, and the beauty of the eBay project is that it has already given the company more than 20,000 e-mail addresses of people who follow Lam’s work but may not be able to afford the collection.

Meanwhile, the eBay collection will be available for pre-order starting April 11 and is slated to start delivering on May 10. Prices fall between $175 and $295, far cheaper than the $800 to $2,000 range of Lam's main collection, and hopefully Lam's own diffusion line will follow suit.