Proenza Schouler Is Done With Quiet Luxury

Proenza Schouler sailed into New York Fashion Week early, showing the spring 2025 collection ahead of the official calendar on Wednesday morning.

“No one has done anything yet, everyone is fresh, it’s a little like back to school,” Jack McCollough said of the move, which also put the brand ahead of the week’s potentially scene-stealing competition, including Ralph Lauren’s Hamptons extravaganza, Tommy Hilfiger’s ferry display, and visiting Europeans Alaïa and Toteme.

Proenza took a space in the New York Mercantile Building on Harrison Street, the first time the circa 1884 former grocery commodities trading building has hosted a fashion show. 

It was an intimate one at that, and celebrity-free, setting the tone for a week that may have some pomp, but is also sure to be reflective of the reality of the slower luxury commodity market.

If the show was quiet, the clothes were not, as the designers aimed to turn the page on the ubiquitous quiet luxury trend in favor of something a little more jazzy.

“We’re not minimalists,” said Lazaro Hernandez, pointing out that the last collection was about as stripped back as they could do.

But they are American sportswear designers, and the focus was on that for this collection of wearable pieces in clever cuts with the craft, color, leather and print that are the brand’s tried and true selling points, as well as nods to the prep trend that’s in the ether. “This season we’re going back to the things that make us, us,” Hernandez said.

That translated to striped shirtdresses that filled with air like sails; great-looking maritime stripe knit ponchos and swishy fraying edge skirts; a slightly undone, downtown riff on sailor pants; fluid trench jackets, and tailoring that was oversized but not too much so, as seen on a pale lavender one-button blazer that gently hugged the waist over slouchy black pants.

The designers also amped up options for event dressing, a strong category for Proenza, according to chief executive officer Kay Hong. Among the effortless pieces were strapless gowns that bounced with long fringes made from 300 yards of silk organza tubes filled with air; technical knit tops and car wash fringe skirts pierced with grommets; their signature jersey goddess gowns remixed, and a playful fuchsia feather-embroidered miniskirt that peeked out from a glossy black coat.

In addition to fun, fringed low-heeled T-sandals, and sporty monogram sneakers, the designers collaborated with footwear brand Sorel on a Caribou Mule and Chelsea boot that lent a rugged touch to the assuredly commercial collection.