Proenza Schouler’s Spring 2023 Collection Redefines The ‘Cool Girl’ Aesthetic

Leave it to Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough to present Proenza Schouler’s spring/summer 2023 collection at the soon-to-open Hall des Lumiéres, a former bank-hall-turned-art-center that will showcase digital exhibitions starting with artist Gustav Klimt. A building that symbolizes the merging of old and new, art and technology, the venue is a fitting location for a show that marks 20 years since their Parsons’ senior thesis collection was snatched up by Barney’s New York (RIP).

While this collection looks much different than the inaugural one, there is the common thread of cool factor with restraint that exudes a sense of maturity their clients have come to rely on. The duo have been in active pursuit of capturing this elusive aesthetic season after season, drawing on the synergy between their cultural backgrounds for inspiration. “The sensuous and fiery qualities of Lazaro’s Latin roots coupled with the pragmatism and grit of Jack’s American experience blend to create a narrative at once effervescent and urban,” read the show notes. This symbiosis between the longtime collaborators can particularly be seen in the terry tweed jacket-pant combos, which range from sheer lace to flamenco ruffles.

And then there’s the accessories. The Michelin Man-esque clunky platforms styled with sheer socks that walked down the runway in an array of colors, from stark white to cobalt blue, featured the off-kilter detail that has come to define the brand. Somehow, these over-the-top, “unsexy” shoes can be cool when juxtaposed with hyper sultry pieces — fringed bralette anyone?

And the collection as a whole included many sensual pieces indeed. The kind that make you long for summer to return, if only to wear these skin-baring separates ASAP. There were sheer, hand-crochet skirts and dresses and acid green and blue laced pants and blouses paired with models minimally glammed in wet, went-for-a-dip hair and dewy, glass skin. The aforementioned glistening skin was a recurring theme, either through obvious display or a hint of it.

But that’s not to say there weren’t office-appropriate pieces to choose from as well, especially considering the label’s stylish jackets and pants are a consistent favorite among the fashion pack in New York. This season’s iteration of nipped-in waist jackets with gold buttons paired with matching flared pants is the breath of fresh air from years of boxy, menswear-inspired blazers that has dominated, a look the designers helped catapult into a perennial fashion girl look.

As the designers have yet again moved the needle on what “cool” means when it comes to dressing, and the rest follow, start saving up for that hero piece to add to your wardrobe (mine will be the polka dot bell bottoms) as six months will be here in no time.