Runway Review: Proenza Schouler Spring 2014

I've always said that the best fashion shows are the ones with which you, as a writer, have basically no idea where to start, well, writing. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez made me truly think while I was watching their latest show. I was jotting down possible inspirations and even sketching. I replayed the show about three times and then started zooming in on most pieces to try to figure out what the fabric is and get my eye on every detail.

It keeps baffling me how the Proenza Schouler guys manage to push the envelope of fashion each season. Along with Marc Jacobs and Alex Wang, they keep New York relevant, exciting and cutting-edge.

The design duo decided to stick to a pretty monochromatic color palette from last season (as well as pre-fall and resort). This ultimate contrast was softened quite a bit. The whites were creamy and the blacks much less boring (I'm guessing an ultra-tech fabric is involved in this story).

The first looks the guys sent out were these super sleek and modern (in the truest sense of the word) jackets and coats. What made them stand out in the most original way were the interesting embellishments such as oversized cufflinks and lock-like buttons.

Brace yourself, because I'm going to have to dedicate an entire paragraph to the pants shown. One of the reasons I'm so glad I caught the live stream of this show is that I saw these pants move. While looking at a photo, you might ask yourself is it a skirt or is it a pant...well, it's a pant (for the most part). These cropped, (extremely) wide leg pants floated down the runway, yet were so superbly constructed. I call it: The Magic of PS. Who would have guessed that an item of clothing we laughed at Drew Barrymore's character in Never Been Kissed for wearing will (probably) be sold out on Moda Operandi in a week or so?

The harsher contrasting of black and white was visible in a few three-piece looks (peplums may be making a comeback) with prints that reminded me of bare tree branches in the dead of winter. Meta, huh?


A trend on the uprise that made its way on to the Proenza Schouler runway are metallics. McCollough and Hernandez sprinkled gold, silver and bronze on long pleated skirts.

Although the Proenza Schouler guys haven't really made a name for themselves by designing red carpet dresses (they basically only make them for the Met Gala), a lot of the pieces shown at the very end could be interesting RC choices. A reference I got after I saw them was Art Deco. Black dresses with many silver or gold stripes looked like they were inspired by the Chrysler building.

One of the first designer things I want to get (in the near future, possibly) is a black PS1 bag (and I shall have it), so naturally I kept one eye on the clothes and one eye on the accessories. The shoes were probably the highest heels we've seen this week, although because of their chunkiness they didn't seem that uncomfortable. I absolutely adored the jewellery as well. Gigantic necklaces with rugged looking copper flowers were such a great antidote to the uber-modern clothes they were paired with.

Red Carpet Wishlist

Photos from Style.com