Proenza Schouler Fall 2023 Ready-To-Wear
Proenza Schouler, co-founded by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, presented their Fall 2023 Ready-to-Wear collection at NYFW. Downtown art girls like Alexa Chung and Jemima Kirke swarmed the audience and Chloe Sevigny opened the show. It was a homecoming of sorts, a look back at the ‘cool girls’ the duo fell in love with in 2002. The Proenza Schouler woman of today is more refined with the hint of casualness that exudes confidence. McCollough and Hernandez showcased an “essential” wardrobe, fit for women of all ages and interests and devoid of trends. After the show and in the name of practicality, Hernandez says, “We’re tired of all this fantasy, and like, Instagram clothes.”
The Ideal Closet
Sevigny walked the runway in a crisp button-up and belted blazer paired with a wrapped leather skirt. While the colors signal a cool masculinity, the silhouette resembles the female form. It signals an oscillation between the masculine and feminine which occurs throughout the entire collection. The same look also appears in all-white and tan, with differentiating shades of said color in each outfit. These three looks act as a uniform and showcases that the eponymous woman is self assured in her taste.
Neutrals remain the standard throughout the show so the designers use silhouette to add feminine details to the structured pieces. Fitted blazers have cinched waists and flared bottoms when not tied with a leather rope. Multiple dresses have third halves cut into flaps and fabric embellished with floral designs that peek through.
Transparent details and crushed velvet emerge in the second half. Casual boxy dresses often appear with transparent blocks despite the structure itself being relatively conservative or monastic. Two outfits in particular have sweet gold buttons on the fringes like a button-up worn from the side. Leather is the most used material in the collection and appears on anything from the shoes to strapless gowns.
So, Who Is The Proenza Schouler Woman?
Like McCollough and Hernandez, their woman thrives in contradiction. For her, a stiff garment is not a deterrent for feminine dressing. Though she is no longer a kid partying in the downtown scene, a casualness still governs her choices. There is a desire for functionality in the types of pieces she chooses but how she wears them is where the fun lies.
All Images Via Vogue Runway
Featured Image Via Fashionista