photo by Maria Morri via flickr / CC BY / edited: resized, sharper, brighter
For a while, I really thought that Proenza Schouler (pronounced "Skool-er") was a German brand - I think it must have been something about the name. I was totally wrong, of course, that's where assumptions get you! Proenza Schouler is an American brand, with a lovely backstory that's well worth knowing.
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez met whilst they were studying at Parsons School of Design in New York. Unlike the other students, for their final exhibition they decided to collaborate on one single collection as a "collaborative thesis" - and this was something that no-one had every really done at Parsons before. It featured sixteen looks and constituted Proenza Schouler's first designer collection - it was a stonking great success. Not only did the pair graduate from Parsons with Designer of the Year honours, but Barney's bought the collection.
photo by Maria Morri via flickr / CC BY / edited: resized
Something about this story really gets me excited. Two young students finding each other and successfully working together to create something really special - that's the fairytale for most artists, business-people and academics, whatever their age. What is even more exciting is that the story doesn't end there.
In 2012, Proenza Schouler opened their very first store - on Maddison Avenue in New York - with a second store (the flagship boutique) opening the following year in Soho. The brand is now also sold within 100 retail outlets worldwide, and employs more than 100 people.
Proenza Schouler has gone from strength to strength, growing their brand and, in 2008, expanding into the design of shoes and handbags. The brand makes all of their accessories by hand, and it is this slow and deliberate creation that is central to Proenza Schouler's conception of "luxury".
The PS1 (not pictured) was Proenza Schouler's first handbag, and as a satchel it was designed to be "wearable luxury". Made during a high-period of "IT bags", the PS1 was meant to be an anti-IT bag - eschewing trends and embracing practicality. Ironically, it was an immediate success and it is still being produced today. However, the PS range has expanded and the PS11 (pictured throughout) is another very popular design, and one that I see being worn around London quite often.
photo by Maria Morri via flickr / CC BY / edited: resized, sharper, brighter
It's hard to pin-point exactly what has propelled Proenza Schouler's success. The brand's founders believe that they were in the right place at the right time, launching just when there was a growing space in the market for younger talent. However, the commerciality of their designs were certainly helpful. Proenza Schouler's designs are all cool and covetable, but, fundamentally, they are designed to be wearable.
It's hard to pin-point exactly what has propelled Proenza Schouler's success. The brand's founders believe that they were in the right place at the right time, launching just when there was a growing space in the market for younger talent. However, the commerciality of their designs were certainly helpful. Proenza Schouler's designs are all cool and covetable, but, fundamentally, they are designed to be wearable.
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