Tellin' All: Proenza Schouler

Proenza Schouler

is a modern luxury womenswear and accessories label, founded in 2002 and is based in New York. The brand was founded by designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. The name Proenza Schouler came from Hernandez and McCollough's mothers' maiden names. Hernandez and McCollough, both visionaries in my opinion, and like all artists, are story tellers. Their collections are more than just visually appealing fascinations, but express the intended ideas and tell stories, straight from Lazaro and McCollough. Returning back to the quick background information, Lazaro and McCollough met at Parson’s School of Design in New York City in 1998. The two, which became good friends, collaborated on their senior thesis collection, which was bought in its entirety by Barneys New York. McCollough and Hernandez worked with Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors respectively, then partnered on their graduation project. I have just recently, within the last 6 months been familiarized with the brand and because of this I feel I have unraveled a secret. The artistic representation present in the Proenza Schouler brand was, and still is, a new thing to me, and in a way was the world's best kept secret from me. Everyone in the world of art and fashion have been in the circle, and then there was me, wandering around on the outside looking for a way in. Of course it was my own wrong doing and possibly my own fault for not knowing the brand but when I discovered Proenza Schouler, I knew it would be a sort of revolution. Proenza Schouler (PS) is a fresh breeze on reality. It is a fantastical, exotic and yet concrete like resort. This is how I would describe Proenza Schouler in an overly dramatic way. Simply put, since learning about McCollough and Hernandez and the empire they have built, I consider them both, and Proenza Schouler as well, as inspirations to me and to my artistic creations.

"Proenza Schouler has collaborated with a number of celebrities, developing relationships with Kristen Stewart, Sarah Jessica Parker, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chloe Sevigny, Kate Bosworth, Kirsten Dunst, Julianne Moore and Charlize Theron, as well as designing Academy Awards dresses for Maggie Gyllenhall and Amy Adams. They have also done several collaborations with brands such as Target (2007,2011), Giuseppi Zanotti (Spring 2009), and J Brand Jeans (Fall/Winter 2010)."

Hernandez, Daphne Guinness and McCollough

"Proenza Schouler has gone on to achieve critical success since its inception, including the 2003 CFDA Perry Ellis Award for new talent, and the inaugural CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund award in 2004. In 2007, Proenza Schouler received the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award (for which they were also nominated in 2006 and 2008) and Valentino Fashion Group took a 45% stake in Proenza Schouler. Following the launch of their first collection of shoes and handbags in 2008, they were awarded the 2009 CFDA Accessory Designer of the Year Award, and were nominated again in 2010.

Proenza Schouler is sold in over 100 of the most exclusive retail outlets worldwide, including Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Harvey Nichols, Colette, Joyce and Lane Crawford.

André Leon Talley, former American editor-at-large for Vogue magazine praised the designers in New York Magazine, commending them for their impeccable tailoring and expressed admiration in regards to the perfect construction of their clothes. At the outset, the two gained popularity due to their modern evaluation of bustiers and corsetry; they are also known for their menswear-inspired coats as well as their sleek and minimal silhouettes that frequently come in dark neutrals."

-Wikipedia

THE SHOES