Heart and Commerce
Review of Proenza Schouler Spring 2024 Fashion Show
By Mark Wittmer
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
Apropos of its location at Phillips auction house, where fine art becomes a capitalist asset, Proenza Schouler’s Spring 2024 collection managed to explore a soulful and airy sensitivity while playing directly to the sophisticated tastes of the wealthy women who wear it.
THE BUZZWORDS
Sophisticated. Diaphanous. Chic. Lightly layered.
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look # 20
The dress speaks for itself: excellent use of pleats and cinching, semi-sheer fabric that moves beautifully, all grounded with a chic and angular take on brogues.
THE DIRECTION
The brand has always had an affinity for rich materials but sometimes can get bogged down in them; here, however, this practice often took shape with a character that was stripped-back, airy, and ephemeral.
THE QUOTE
We were thinking about art and commerce – where does that distinction lie, and how can we honor both? We’re a bit grown up now; we’re trying to build on our past stages of soulfulness and experimentation while making, functional, desirable, wearable clothes.”
– Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Proenza Schouler Co-Founders and Creative Directors
THE WRAP-UP
Last season marked the brand’s 20th anniversary, and Proenza Schouler celebrated this major milestone by teasing apart the archives and delivering a vision of the real-life muses who wear it. This collection guides that practice quietly forward, opting for a lighter touch that is nonetheless cleverly layered as the brand continues to assert itself as New York’s leader in chic sophistication.
