Most people with a keen fashion sense know Ralph Lauren, Zac Posen and Derek Lam simply as names that grace the tags of their favorite dress or blouse. But for St. Louis native Liz Giardina, the relationship goes much deeper. Each iconic name represents a fashion house where she has left her creative mark as a designer. Currently at the helm of Derek Lam’s diffusion brand, Derek Lam 10 Crosby, the Clayton High School grad (’98) lends her artistic background to a line that brings designer clothes to a wider audience.
Her journey to such a prominent position (officially VP of design) started when she was a little girl, enthralled with her mom’s books that celebrated the style of famous actresses and socialites. “I became very interested in personal style at a young age: how people carried themselves and how they wore their clothes, as well as the attitude that clothes give people.” She grew up dancing, and as a member of COCA’s first dance company, she became intrigued by costume design and the aura surrounding influential dancers. “I’ve always been fascinated by Bob Fosse, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, just how they wore menswear and their casual style.”
A combined love of personal style and art—she majored in sculpture and fine art at Washington University—led her to pursue fashion design. She started her fashion career as a design assistant in accessories at Ralph Lauren before transitioning to a designer of ready-to-wear at Zac Posen. In 2004, she joined Halston, working under the masterful minds of creative directors Marco Aznini, Marios Schwab and Jeff Mahshie. “I designed an evening collection and helped launch a ready-to-wear collection that sold at major luxury retailers around the world, like Printemps in Paris and Selfridges in London,” she recalls. “I also helped launch a lower-priced line called Halston Heritage that had great commercial success.” Giardina initially met with Derek Lam about five years ago to design for his collection, but the fashion mogul took her in a different direction. “He approached me with the idea of starting a secondary brand and thought I would be perfect to lead it,” she says.
Her work with Derek Lam 10 Crosby is a true representation of her style aesthetic. She and her team, almost exclusively women, are all customers, too. “We’re engrossed in not only designing great clothes, but also in making something great for us to wear,” she notes. A typical workday involves discussions about how to put new twists on old classics. “Take a man’s oxford shirt; everyone is familiar with it, but we work to make it more feminine and creative,” she explains. Giardina appreciates designing for the more urban woman. “The 10 Crosby customer might come home and throw her clothes on the back of a chair; the garments have an easy attitude.” She says the brand’s success derives from more than her approachable, fashion-forward designs. A contemporary price point and “sense of honesty”—comfortable fabrics like cotton, canvas and merino wool—are also factors, she says.
In St. Louis, the line is offered exclusively at Neiman Marcus, and Giardina will visit the store at 1 p.m. April 18 for a fashion chat and runway show, her first local appearance for the line. The event’s intimate, casual atmosphere will encourage audience participation as Liz, NM public relations manager Cheresse Pentella, and NM CUSP manager Kerry Condrey discuss each look. Giardina welcomes any opportunity to engage with clients. “To meet with people who are customers, especially in my hometown, is so fun,” she says. “I have wanted to do an appearance in St. Louis since I started working with Derek. It’s interesting to hear feedback from women outside of New York, where we are in this fashion bubble. I’m designing clothes for women everywhere, so it’s nice to find out what they’re wearing and responding to—and what they’re not.”
Giardina gets back to St. Louis a few times a year to visit family, stop by her alma mater (she’s even done a guest teaching stint at Wash. U.) and check out her favorite local attraction, the Pulitzer Arts Foundation. “It’s amazing,” she says. “I just read in Architectural Digest that it will host a Calder exhibit when it reopens in May. To have the first public building in the U.S. designed by Tadao Ando right here in St. Louis is such a treasure.” Some would say the same of her.
Photo: Bryce Ward
