Inspired by vintage photographs from art openings, abstract expressionist painting and minimalist sculpture, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough presented their Proenza Schouler Autumn Winter 2015 collection in the suitable remit of the Whitney Museum in New York. Stark black and white and all the shades of grey in between made up the duo´s palette, accented by a deep carnal red that we have been seeing a lot this season.
There was a notable interplay between the skintight and rib revealing and more severe, boxy shapes. Dramatically slit hems and lapels brought life to great wool coats and calf-length A-line skirts paired with borrowed-from-the-boys jumpers. Bandaged knit dresses appeared to have been painted on the body with a heavy-handed brush and were layered with supersized black fishnets – these powerful but pared-back looks the highlights of the show.
A tribal vein struck towards the end as white shift dresses appliqued with colourful fur pieces and embroidered black kaftans concluded the presentation. They appeared, like some of the shearling shrugs, like a bit of an afterthought, though the contrast they were intended to supply was a necessary one. Great fashion remixers blending the familiar with the unexpected, Hernandez and McCollough presented an uneven yet interesting collection, but more than anything a desire to push their own boundaries as designers.
by Elisabeth Krohn
Images courtesy of Style.com