Their Classics. Proenza Schouler Pre-Fall 2019

December 12, 2018December 12, 2018 | Design & Culture by Ed

For many brands, a pre-collection isn’t just the season with the longest shelf life. It’s also the right moment to remind its classics; brand codes; signature pieces – whatever you call it. Proenza Schouler‘s Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez are aware of that – and they aren’t afraid to repeat themselves, in a healthy, balanced way. Tie-dye print is the label’s long-time friend, and with its major success as a turtleneck last winter, the PS boys brought it back in new colour combinations. Sensual slip-dresses with feminine detailing were especially present in Proenza Schouler’s first collections, more or less a decade ago. Now they are back, styled with big pants and masculine blazers. Spring-summer 2019’s XXL-bag is staying for a longer, too, just as washed denim. Although we’ve seen all that, let’s admit this: the collection looks good. Even very good.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Boys in Paris. Proenza Schouler SS18

July 3, 2017July 3, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough are the boys, who for years defined the contemporary chic of New York’s fashion scene. Hearing about their unexpected departure to Paris last season was quite a surprise. Everybody asked: what will New York fashion week be like without Proenza Schouler? Well, one thing’s sure – the Big Apple undoubtedly sobs that it didn’t witness one of the couples’ strongest and most beautiful collections.

But why Paris? And why so early for spring-summer 2018, while it will be presented by other labels in September? First, the brand decided to expand its recognition internationally, as Paris, not New York, is the place where all eyes look at. Second, the designers decided to dissolve the pre- and main-collection into one, consistent line-up, leaving more space (and time) for their intimate, creative process. Vetements done it, with success; Burberry has a similar business model; Rodarte, which presented its collection the same day in the French capital, takes the same risk this season.

But lets talk about the clothes, which in the end are the most important. As I’ve mentioned earlier, that was a truly impressive collection. Form low skirts and ready-for-everything blazers to statuesque ruffled dresses and stark red florals, Lazaro and Jack searched for a balance between arty edginess and comfortable elegance. Wait, we’re in Paris, just on time for haute couture shows – this explains the last looks, pimped up by the local petites mains. Looking like moving fluffy clouds from a distance, those were intricately inserted feathers on Sasha Pivovarova’s art gallery owner jacket or Mariacarla Boscono’s show-stopping evening dress à la Black Swan. Actually, each look is worth a paragraph. Also, please take a look at the low-heeled shoes with pointy-toes, kept in simple black or embellished with colourful beads. An instant need.

I think that a warm ‘bienvenue’ is the right term to greet Proenza Schouler at their new, European home!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki (backdrop: combination of different installations and artworks by Kate MccGwire).

New York. Proenza Schouler AW17

February 16, 2017 | Design & Culture by Ed

After announcing a few weeks ago that they will be presenting fashion shows in Paris since the next season, Lazaro Hernandez‘s and Jack McCollough‘s autumn-winter 2017 collection at Proenza Schouler felt like a good-bye. Although the designers say that they will surely come back to New York in the future, this temporary departure might be a fist hit for NYFW: Proenza Schouler is (or rather was) one of the most beloved and talked about brands since its very beginnings.

Changes are coming and the boys are ready for the new chapter. That’s why their latest outing was a classical Proenza Schouler collection, with marvellous coats (the opening look on newcomer Cleo Cwiek is worth drooling over and over again) and layered, body-exposing, pleated dresses. The bracelets were especially intriguing, as their fluid-like form looked sculptural on the models’ hands. PS logo was cut and used as boldly-coloured zippers for the outerwear and clutch bags. Lazaro and Jack tend to say theire creativity is fuelled by the city’s incredible energy – and these clothes will surely become a New Yorker’s (and not only) day-to-day gear.

Street-Wise Chic. Proenza Schouler SS17

September 15, 2016September 15, 2016 | Design & Culture by Ed

Proenza Schouler‘s spring-summer 2017 collection is my favourite collection so far – and I’m quite sure that it will stay up high in my rank for this season. Like Altuzarra, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez looked forward to colour, which used to be substituted with calm neutrals in their last few collections. Bold, graphic patterns in red, yellow, orange and blue gave the bar-jackets and pleated skirts a youthful, pop vibrancy. The styling was care-free in its fun spontaneity – take the intarsia fur coat, tied with a sweatshirt over the waist. Such an eye-catchy contrast between a luxurious investment piece, and a streetwear must-have. But the sweatshirts, and the more street-wise part of the collection wasn’t banal at all. Boxy, voluminous t-shirts were layered over shirts, while Greek sanctuary prints or a snapshot of closed fist (its Jack’s) contributed to the idea of a mixed, “collage-like” chaos. Fabrics and rare textiles were “sparsed” around the pieces like in a collage, too. For their multi-coloured, knitted dresses, the designers reached a Parisian atelier were feathers are weaved like yarn. Knitwear used in the collection came from Bolivia, and in overall, over ten countries were involved in the making of this spectacular line-up of intriguing garments. As the designers said, they didn’t “travel as much as the collection itself“. That’s the beauty behind Proenza’s spring-summer 2017.

Collage by me (as usual), feauturing Kasia Korzeniecka’s water-painting.

Flamenco. Proenza Schouler SS16

September 18, 2015 | Design & Culture by Ed

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler are approaching a new field of femininity. Their SS16 was like a quick vacation to South America – the heat of flamenco was unbearable, but appealing. The textiles were more light, which is a contrast to their last-season heavy wools and metal detailing; the attitude changed towards the Proenza woman, who is much more sensual and on-going. Exposed-shoulder-dresses and Cuban heeled pumps are the ultimate hits from the collection – just like the 70’s inspired, plexi earrings. However, the collection lacked a bit of fantasy, even though the designers had their dresses made by Parisian couturiers. It wasn’t a bad collection, but surely not the best one from Proenza Schouler boys.