In an industry where designers are always looking for ways to one-up each other, whether it be through overly extravagant show locations or triple-digit collection sizes, Proenza Schouler’s NYFW show last night was a lesson in restraint.
Just 35 looks were presented in a deconstructed space washed in sunset-like pastels, overlooking the West Side Highway during a particularly dreary New York night. The small collection contained Proenza Schouler’s signature soft draping and a new foray into sharp lines. Models, including Kaia Gerber, Gigi Hadid, and Doutzen Kroes, were seen donning off-one-shoulder and asymmetric frocks that made us remember how simple sexy dressing could be.
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The design duo told Vogue that the starting point for the collection was a blanket they gave their stylist Camilla Nickerson for Christmas. Nickerson wore the blanket as a scarf, and it’s what inspired the designers to feature similar silhouettes throughout the AW20 collection.
Plush peacoat coats and liquid-like capes contrasted with the standout materials: lipstick-red leather and golden chainmail to create a 10-minute escape from the chaos of fashion week — a buzzy feeling that many were desperate to hold onto post-show.
In contrast, a handful of other big-name New York Fashion Week shows took the opposite approach, sending 50+ looks down the catwalk and/or creating viral moments on the sidelines thanks to an influx of television stars in attendance. Don’t get us wrong, finding the girls from Cheer at not one, but two catwalk shows this season was a pleasant surprise. But if you ask us, Proenza Schouler’s method of keeping Fashion Week about clothes and style is the route that, while less traveled these days, always leads to gold.