Proenza Schouler announces tactile tailoring for Spring 2021

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Nov 11, 2020

Just when you thought it might be the end of the online collection series by major designers, along comes Proenza Schouler this week with an ode to the vitality of New York.

All together a collection of edgy elegance made in essentially upcycled materials, unveiled via a new book entitled Proenza Schouler New York 2020, and in personal interviews with senior editors and the house’s founding designers – Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. Staged via Zoom over several days, before the visual ideas were released to the general public on Armistice, Wednesday, Nov. 11.

“We wanted long-lasting clothes! Not timeless, more foreverness. Not disposable,” said Hernandez in a joint call with McCollough from LA.

A collection with all the wit, attitude and quirky classism that one expects from this duo: like the T-shirts with double necklines, with one located on the spine; or the gutsy black and white leather tunic dresses or retro sci-fi tops. All the way to the cocktail hour on Solaris leather blouses with taut yet posh S&M collars. Cutting with abandon, they served up enveloping trench coats with collars and stylish knit columns. Though the stand-out looks were the flawlessly draped jersey goddess dresses in micro plissé, finished with contrasting buttons. Climaxing with micro-sequined blousons and redingotes – adding punchy tailoring to the mix.

Pre-show, the duo mailed selected editors their new book to illuminate their vision. A compendium of images shot in New York, featuring black and white photos of yet to be completed skyscrapers, often gloved in scaffolding and cranes; aged stainless food trucks; battered store fronts; or Washington Square skateboarders. Camera angles shot along the West Side Highway or on a cruise down the Hudson River, starring two hipster indie models – Tennessee-raised Binx Walton and Holland’s Saskia de Brauw.

A great backdrop to the new accessories – in the currently cool knubby  shapes, from the saucer toed boots to a new squishy leather clutch with golden chain. Everything enlivened by some tremendous abstract prints - dashing tops and shirts in broken gray and white leopard or burnt-out tie-dye mixes.

“Normally we fly to Italy for fabrics, but the country was in lockdown. So we used leftover samples or fabric runs. So this collection was 90% upcycled from archival material,” explained McCollough.

Added Hernandez: “Lots of material existed in grey or white form, so we were able to re-dye many of the fabrics and sent them to LA, as that’s where everyone tie-dyes. So you never recognize them.  But we have accumulated so many fabrics so we decided let’s just use it!”