PROENZA SCHOULER
BRAND FASHION DESIGNER, P
PROENZA SCHOULER IS LAZARO HERNANDEZ AND JACK MCCOLLOUGH’S BRAND
Proenza Schouler is a New York ready-to-wear brand founded in 2002 by Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough. The two young designers who met for the first time in 1998 at the famous Parsons School of Design.
The first collection of the duo dates back to Spring/Summer 2003 and had immediate success. It was so much so that it was purchased by many department stores such as Barney’s, Neiman Marcus, and Harvey Nichols. The label’s style was immediately characterized by an unconventional approach of decisive couture inspiration, rich in sophisticated stylistic elements taken from traditional tailoring, and an impeccable technique.
Among the cult items, there are the reinterpretations of corsets, men’s cut outerwear in printed fabrics, and evening dresses in chiffon marked at the waist by satin belts, which draw minimal but dynamic silhouettes.
HERNANDEZ AND MCCOLLOUGH: THE PRESS SUCCESS
Hernandez and McCollough, pampered by the press and media, immediately received the favor of a large VIP clientele and, in 2004, also introduced a line of footwear.
The brand’s name was created by joining the two unmarried names of the mothers of the two founders. Since its foundation, Proenza Schouler has been receiving many awards, including the CFDA Perry Ellis Award in 2003 for new talents and the first CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund award in 2004.
In 2007, Proenza Schouler received the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year (for which they were also nominated in 2006 and 2008). Meanwhile, Valentino Fashion Group bought 45% off Proenza Schouler’s shares.
A new competitor would be interested to invest in Proenza Schouler. As reported by Wwd the private equity firm Castanea Partners would have come forward to acquire a stake in the New York brand. The brand, which in 2011 was taken over by Andrew Rosen, John Howard, and other investors from Valentino Fashion Group, had already entered into negotiations with the luxury giant LVMH in August.
DISTRIBUTION
There would be 50% of the company created by the New York designer duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez on the plate, which would have a size of 85 million dollars. The brand distributes its collections to more than 250 points of sale in over 20 countries and manages a network of 9 single-brand stores. The two designers admitted that they are looking for more investments to continue growing and expanding the men’s clothing and perfume business.
McCollough and Hernandez are minority shareholders. Hernandez told Wwd,
“the most important thing was to keep creative control and get to know our investors. I think most of our investors realize that if they let us do what we do, they will continue to have a return,”
PROENZA SCHOULER AT CFDA
Following the launch of the first collection of shoes and bags in 2008, Proenza Schouler won the CFDA Accessory Designer of the Year Award in 2009 and was nominated again in 2010.
The duo continued to be very popular at the CFDA in 2013. Importantly the designers have earned recognition as Womenswear Designer of the Year. Above all beating other competitors such as Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang. An understandable success given the SS2014 collection, where the two creative directors played with the material: natural and technical fibers combined in the definition of an outfit suspended between futurism and minimalism.
In those years, Proenza Schouler collaborated with many celebrities, such as Kristen Stewart, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chloë Sevigny, Kate Bosworth, Kirsten Dunst, Julianne Moore, and Charlize Theron. Furthermore designing the dresses presented at the ceremony for the delivery of the Oscar awards for Maggie Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams.
In 2014 Proenza Schouler is preparing to go on show at Le Bon Marché, a Parisian retailer owned by LVMH. The exhibition brought together 80 looks of the brand and a short biographical video. Among the items on sale in the history department in the heart of the Left Bank. Additionally, the duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez also created a capsule collection of T-shirts, scarves, sweaters, and a wide range of leather goods.
PROENZA BETWEEN NEW YORK AND PARIS
Significantly in 2017 the creative duo decided to leave the Big Apple. After confirming to show the fall-winter 2017 collection in New York. Consequently the brand announced that starting from spring-summer 2018 it would have presented the cruise and runway lines in a unified version every two years in July and January. The debut according to the new format took place in Paris in July on the occasion of haute couture. Underlying the label’s decision there would be the desire to respond more consistently to the needs of a rapidly evolving market.
However, a year later Proenza returned to NYFW. In fact, after presenting the two-season collections in the Parisian couture calendar, designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez announced on Instagram that the brand would have returned to the New York fashion week next September.
“It was great to show the last two seasons in Paris during Couture week, but New York will always be our home, so we’ll be back here for Spring-Summer 2019”
The SS 2019 is a tribute to American culture, and in particular to the New York style, between mannish waistcoats and masculine pants or hyper-feminine dresses.
GWYNETH X PROENZA
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow created the G. Sport collection with Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, designed for all those in quarantine. An athleisure clothing line born within Goop, a wellness and lifestyle platform founded by the actress in 2008. Goop is committed to making casual clothing available for people who have to stay at home, which is both comfy and glamorous at the same time.
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