Proenza Schouler

NEW YORK, February 4, 2008
By Nicole Phelps
A road trip to Donald Judd's Chinati Foundation in Marfa, Texas, inspired Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. That and making paper airplanes en route in the car. The folds were translated into the Fall show's opening series of dresses, luscious jewel-tone shifts in silk twill that doubled and redoubled back on themselves like so many enormous ruffles. Jackets, too, were given the accordion treatment and, like the dresses, worn with contrast-color stockings and brightly hued suede pumps, or super-slouchy trousers.

Construction and the inner workings of a garment became the designers' fascination. A charcoal double-faced wool melton coat looked as if it had been put on inside out. From there they went to extremes, cutting away the back of a silk tweed jacket to expose the lining and all the seams, and piecing together a shearling as if it were a puzzle, so the shag was seen in parts—the arms, for instance—while elsewhere the wool was spliced to reveal the shiny interfacing.

This collection had gorgeous colors and enough sequined cocktail dresses for all of the duo's socialite pals, but it was by no means their easiest to grasp, and it may turn off some of their less conceptually minded customers. That's of little consequence to McCollough and Hernandez. After all the kisses and congratulations backstage, they said the best thing about having new(-ish) backers is that it allows them to make two collections: one that's commercial (for that, visit the showroom) and one that's editorial. It's not tough to guess which they prefer.