Heritage
A house, in its own words
The Derek Lam brand began in 2003 when fashion designer Derek Lam joined forces with Jan‑Hendrik Schlottmann, a seasoned executive in the fragrance industry. Their partnership launched a namesake perfume line that initially focused on classic, wearable scents for a broad audience. In 2011 the house introduced 10 Crosby, a ten‑piece collection that marked a shift toward storytelling through scent. Each fragrance received its own short film, a concept developed with director Henry Joost and his creative team, turning the launch into a multimedia event. The collection debuted with scents such as Silent St., 2 am Kiss, Drunk on Youth and Looking Glass, all released in 2015, a year that saw the line expand rapidly. The following years added new releases like Love Deluxe and A Hold On Me in 2020, demonstrating the brand’s willingness to refresh its narrative while staying rooted in its New York origins. Though the broader Derek Lam fragrance portfolio has seen periods of reduced visibility, the 10 Crosby line remains a reference point for designers who seek to blend urban inspiration with olfactory craft. The collection’s continued presence in specialty retailers and curated fragrance platforms underscores its lasting appeal among connoisseurs who value both the scent and its associated visual storytelling. The creative vision behind 10 Crosby treats fragrance as a diary of city life. Derek Lam has said that the line grew from watching the world move past his studio window on Crosby Street, prompting him to translate those moments into scent. The brand pairs each perfume with a short film, allowing the narrative to unfold in both scent and image. This dual‑medium approach reflects a belief that fragrance should be experienced, not merely worn. Collaboration sits at the core of the process; the house invited four respected perfumers—Clement Gavarry, Pascal Gaurin, Yves Cassar and Laurent LeGuernec—to interpret specific moods, ensuring each bottle carries a distinct personality. The collection avoids generic luxury language, instead focusing on authenticity, craft and the everyday elegance of New York. By grounding each scent in a concrete scene—a winter snowfall, a late‑night coffee, a quiet street after rain—the brand encourages wearers to recall personal memories while discovering new ones. This philosophy positions 10 Crosby as a bridge between personal narrative and shared urban culture.