If New York Fashion Week felt at all lackluster this season, one of the reasons was because Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernadez left Proenza Schouler three weeks before they would have normally presented their new fall collection. We’re still waiting for another announcement explaining where New York’s golden boys are landing—industry talk places them at a European label—but the show must go on at the American brand they founded 22 years ago.
In place of a runway, the company’s new CEO Shira Suveyke Snyder was doing showroom walk-throughs of the fall collection with Lisa Muscatel, a 12-year veteran of Proenza Schouler and head of the design studio. Before they left, McCollough and Hernandez had organized a shoot of the new lineup at Manitoga/The Russel Wright Design Center, an hour outside the city, to produce the images you see here.
The location suited the new clothes like the oversize buffalo check top and scarf skirt and the oversized ultra-wide wale corduroy pants, which have an outdoorsier bent than usual for Proenza Schouler. There was also a strong focus on outerwear. From leather aviators to weather resistant macs, the jackets and coats were cut in relaxed proportions and draped gently at the back. One novel and clever development was a cowl neck top that can also function like a hood, which played neatly into the oddball headwear trend we saw elsewhere this week.
Where the collection felt scaled back from a typical Proenza Schouler show was in the statement-dress department. Last season was an especially strong one for McCollough and Hernandez in this category with its nautical-feeling asymmetrical striped and fringed knit numbers. This time around, the standout was a vivid chartreuse two-piece dress in their signature pleats with gold chain details holding the halter-style top in place. A draped red dress was also finished with metal hardware.
So, will the brand be back on the calendar in September to give New York Fashion Week the buzz it needs? “It’s too soon to say,” said Suveyke Snyder, who explained that she’s about midway through the candidate process. “I want to give whoever we hire the freedom to feel what they’re putting out there is exactly what they want to say.” And any hints as to who that hire might be? “We’re really going on someone’s ability to work with elevated luxury fabrics, price point, and craftsmanship; run an atelier; and chops to do a runway.”
