Proenza Schouler

Proenza Schouler is aNew York based modern luxury fashion label founded in 2002 by designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. The label produces womenswear and accessories.

The name Proenza Schouler is a combination of the designers mothers maiden names.

McCollough and Hernandez met at Parson's The New School for Design in 1998, they worked together on their final year thesis collection, which was bought in its entirety by Barneys New York.

After the success of their final year collection McCollough and Hernandez each went on to work with Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors and then came together to work on their graduation project. 

Proenza Schouler has gone from strength to strength since its beginnings in 2002, winning the CFDA Perry Ellis award for new talent in 2003, and the Vogue Fashion Fund award in 2004. 2007 saw the label win Womenswear Designer of the year award.




An array of fastenings inthe Proenza Schouler studio - Image by Tommy Ton.

 

Proenza Schouler's continuous success lies in the designers ability to create well made garments that can be worn by young and mature women. The clothing is sleek, uncomplicated and feminine. The use of colour and texture within the collections is clever as the garments simple silhouette along with detailed texture and bright ,colour means that they are versatile and can be worn alone or paired with something else.




Models wait backstage at the Proenza Schouler Spring Summer 2011 show

 

In 2008 the Valentino Group took a 45% stake in Proenza Schouler and in the same year the label launched their first collection of shoes and handbags. They were then awarded the 2009 CFDA Accessory Designer of the year award.





The Label uses simple elegant shapes and the designers are present at every stage of the designs.



McCollough and Hernandez are known for being hands on during the design phase

 

The collections use woven and printed textiles in the designs especially in the spring 2010 and 2011 collections. Woven textiles can be seen in the garments through to the shoes and handbags, adding texture and depth.




Beautifully crafted shoes with woven textiles.

 



Texture and colour, along with a simple , clean silhouette

 


Collection sketches from the Proenza Schouler Studio.



Proenza Schouler has been praised for its impeccable tailoring and craft with many Fashion Editors  commending the designers on the perfect construction of the clothing. Pieces from their collections can be seen on many Fashion week attendees.




Eye catching blazer and top on two Fashion week spectators.





Proenza Schouler is a label which shows any aspiring designer the fusion between impeccable tailoring and construction with textiles. Theirs is a formula which will see the labels continued success.

(All images in this post are by Photographer Tommy Ton)