EOC: Excercise Ch. 3

Most designers and merchandisers that have an established name have been working for a while in the retailing, manufacturing, or design industry. Identify someone who you feel reflects the type of fashion brand you would develop and write a 500 word essay on his or her career. How has each of that person’s experiences helped them develop a successful brand? What do you think the future of their brand will be?

Preonza Schouler

This modern luxury label offers an edgy, youthful take on upscale dressing. The design team of Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough—media darlings and self-proclaimed “dorks”—has only been in business since 2002, but the duo has already enjoyed numerous hit collections, and a rep as one of fashion’s most talked about labels. Hernandez and McCollough met in design school, worked with Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs respectively, then partnered on their graduation project. The rest is history. It helps that their talent matches their hype and that their collections showcase technical skills usually reserved for much older designers."Initially popular for its modern interpretation of bustiers and corsetry, the line features tailored coats in lush menswear pattern prints, sleek pencil skirts, color-blocked chiffon evening gowns cinched with satin belts, and tight, minimal silhouettes that often come in dark neutrals like bronze, battleship gray, and military green.” (http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/designers/bios/proenzaschouler/)


“Their greatest strength is their appreciation of the construction of clothes: the tailoring, the linings, the seams—all are done perfectly, and that's what makes them great.”
—André Leon Talley New York Magazine

“The designers behind the collection, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez met in 1999 while studying at Parsons School of Design. The brand name comes from both the designers' mothers' maiden names. Their senior-year collaboration at Parsons was a great success and the duo decided to establish their own label after graduating in 2002. Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez have been very popular ever since that time."(http://www.kosmix.com/topic/proenza_schouler)

These two designers were very soon seen on the pages of Vogue. They got loyal clientele following with their delicately created modest silhouettes. The creations are in muted colors, crafty layering, and slight sexy. Proenza Schouler clothes are very popular with the chic city girls. “Proenza Schouler has been awarded with the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for new talent in 2003 and the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2007. This contemporary brand provides a smart youthful take on fashionable dressing. Typically Proenza Schouler creations are youthful and sporty with intermittent contemporary touches.” (http://www.kosmix.com/topic/proenza_schouler)

McCollough had worked as a glassblower for some time and Hernandez had planned to be a doctor, before joining the world of fashion. In 2007, the Valentino Fashion Group bought up a 45 percent stake in the company. The designer duo sealed a shoe deal with Vicini SpA/Giuseppe Zanotti for spring 2009. Their talent lives up to their hype and the designs showcase a technical skill, which is generally seen in more mature designers.

I love this brand and how they got their start. They worked from the bttom form school and were on the documentary called “Seamless” that showcased 10 designers trying to with the grand prize of $200,000.00. They won. I love that they even say “We can’t even afford our clothes” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/29/proenza-schouler-we-cant_n_664087.html)

Even though their brand is high end they still can’t afford their own brand. It shows me that they want to make money and creative luxurious things but they still won’t ever be able to afford it . Reading between the lines it shows to me they can make great garments but don’t wish to become a label “junkie” and spend all their hard earned money on clothes that they can make themselves. Also I just love their honesty.