Estee Lauder Partners with Derek Lam

Estée Lauder will launch a limited-edition Derek Lam collection in January.

The collection isn't expective to receive massive sales but it is a way for the designer to try his hand at cosmetics.

The collection will be sold for $85 and features five products - Kajal Crayon in Near Night, a navy blue; The Mascara in Black Black; The EyeShadow in Smoked Gold; The LipColor in Smoked Blush, and The Gloss in Barely Gold - all stored in a navy Derek Lam clutch.

Lam created the collection with Tom Pecheux, creative makeup director of Estée Lauder and Lam's longtime friend. "It fit into a woman's life - that's what most women do," said Pecheux. "Nobody has time to go back home to shower, to clean and rebuild the makeup. Girls like to add a bit of makeup to start their second part of the day and then the evening."

"I've been working with Tom since my very first show and Estée Lauder for the last eight seasons," the designer told WWD. "That longtime involvement is invaluable - we're really working hand in hand."

"I'm known for having a quiet palette, being a minimalist, all those kinds of words," said Lam of his runway shows. "But working with Tom, we both wanted to go beyond that and present a real look for each show. We didn't just want to go for the classics. Having said that, I do love the idea women could use my makeup like my ready-to-wear collection - as part of the wardrobe that creates a personality and a style. I wanted that functionality in the makeup line. I also wanted to translate what I'm seeing in fabrics and textures into the cosmetics."

Lam's next step could be fragrances. "I did a one-off fragrance in spring 2006," he said. "We only offered it to the audience at the show - and I still get requests for it. I've always tried to incorporate beauty and fragrance - I see that as very intrinsic to what I do, which is not about one particular look or way of dressing, but trying to express personal style. This is another expression of style that is curated by me and Tom. We wanted it to be an elevated experience, but accessible."

"Derek Lam and Estée Lauder share a sophisticated, aspirational aesthetic," said Jane Hertzmark Hudis, global brand president of Estée Lauder, adding that the brand is celebrating "eight seasons of backstage beauty with a collection created by Derek and Tom that speaks to their partnership in connecting fashion, style and beauty."

The collection will be sold in Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and on esteelauder.com in North America. In Europe the collection will be in Harrods, Galeries Lafayette and El Corte Inglés.