Derek Lam teams up with lifestyle brand Athleta

The New York Fashion designer is no stranger to catering to the masses. After recent stints creating womenswear for Kohl's and co-designing jewelry with Jamie Wolf, he will become Athleta's first guest designer.

The first of three fitness-meets-fashion-inspired capsule collections (Fall 2015, Winter 2016 and Spring 2016), will hit Derek Lam 10 Crosby's New York flagship boutique, as well as select Athleta stores and Athleta's e-shop in September.

What can we expect? Lam has all the activewear staples covered: Leggings, shorts, dresses, jackets, sweatshirts and custom-designed sneakers. Pieces will feature signature details from the designer's second line Derek Lam 10 Crosby. These will include 2-in-1 styles and color blocking while incorporating Athleta's high-tech textile expertise.

Pairing Lam's urban aesthetic with a premier lifestyle apparel brand is an "athleisure" match made in heaven. According to Lam, "Athleta's expertise in performance fabrics and fibers has offered us a really exciting opportunity to create a collection which complements perfectly what we do for Derek Lam 10 Crosby."

"Versatile clothing with elevated style that takes her throughout the day is incredibly important to our customer. Derek Lam 10 Crosby is the right brand to expand Athleta's offerings," enthused Athleta President Nancy Green in an official statement. 

Prior to founding his namesake fashion business along with partner Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann in 2003, San-Francisco native Derek Lam spent 12 years working for luxury label Michael Kors.

In the mid-noughties, Lam scooped several CFDA awards, as his style empire went from strength to strength, expanding into handbags, footwear and eyewear.

Today, Lam's A-list clients include Kate Bosworth, Anne Hathaway and Diane Kruger.