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Though the New York Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025 schedule doesn’t formally commence until September 6, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler uncharacteristically eschewed this regimented programming for a guerrilla collection presentation thrown 48 hours before official proceedings begin.
For a brand as coveted as the 20-year-old label, this decision wasn’t one designed to cut through the noise and garner the attention of its downtown clientele. Or, even to say they have the privilege of opening up the season, given this is something the brand does regardless. Instead, the decision was to capture the essence of what they believe the mode of dressing is now sans fanfare.
The collection encapsulated a back to school nostalgia; the fresh excitement of returning to the familiar after a transformative break. It’s not hard to imagine where the creative directors envisioned their clientele summering, with maritime motifs a large component of their designs. Breton stripes were subverted into deconstructed tops, as modelled by photographer Petra Collins, and asymmetrically draped mini skirts.
(Californian cool girl Devon Lee Carlson also made her runway debut in this show, while political protégé Ella Emhoff and Emily Ratajkowski sat in the front row.)
As this specific style of stripe originated from the French navy, there was a specific maritime-meets-militant undertone to the pieces, as seen in viscose coats featuring high-neck buckle fastenings and storm flats or mid-rise wool trousers finished with a row of buttons. Through the luxuriate’s signature breezy minimalism, these pieces are anchored in utility but revered in cosmopolitan settings.
Yes, the Proenza Schouler woman tries her hand at uniform dressing, not army uniforms, making the striped fringe dresses some of the most creative use of the timeless print. Cobalt and white striped knit skirts disintegrated into flirty tassels that would best suit a balmy outing in Corsica or Tahiti. (And given the collection inspiration, preferably on a super yacht.)
In a press release, the co-founders also acknowledged that this usage was as much a nod to nautical stylings as it is the work of American abstract artist Barnett Newman, proving that their customers are intelligent, discerning and playful. What better way to express this than in the pairing of fuschia satin slingback pumps, body-hugging technical jersey legging and a draped midi dress crafted from a static, glitchy print?
Or, a black textured tank layered over a mini-skirt crafted from feather embroidery? The latter continued into some exceptionally enviable sandals that will soon be christened the shoe of this season. (Mark our words and watch this space.) As the brand put it, this range tells “a story about versatility, individuality, and emerging from a stripped-back winter into the joys of spring.” Fashion is coming out of hibernation—can you feel the tides of change?
