Proenza Schouler
Biography
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez first met in 1998 as students at Parsons School of Design in New York. During their time at Parsons, the two designed separately and quite successfully for three years. In their senior year as fashion majors, Jack and Lazaro teamed up to design their senior collection. The joint effort exceeded all expectations and was met by rave reviews. The collection received the Golden Thimble award and was bought in its entirety by Barneys New York. The success of this initial partnership inspired them to launch their own independent label, Proenza Schouler, a combination of their mother’s maiden names.
The Spring/Summer 2003 collection, their first out of school, brought similar acclaim. It was named by both WWD and Style.com as one of the season’s “Top 10 Collections”. The collection was purchased by stores throughout North America, Europe and Asia, including Neiman Marcus, Colette, Harvey Nichols, Holt Renfrew, and Isetan. From the beginning, Proenza Schouler has always positioned itself as an international luxury brand carefully selecting its retail partners globally and has continued doing so. Currently, Proenza Schouler is distributed in over 125 locations world wide in the top department stores and boutiques in every major cosmopolitan city.
The press has been extremely supportive naming Proenza Schouler the “future of fashion “ from the very start. Over the past 5 years, Proenza Schouler has received a series of very distinguished awards including the CFDA/ Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for Ready to Wear in 2003, the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund top award, CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2007. Numerous collections, both ready to wear and accessories, have annually been named “Top Ten Collections” by Style.com and W/WWD.
As important as ever, Proenza Schouler has created a very loyal celebrity following including Kirsten Dunst, Maggie Gyllenhal, Kate Bosworth, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Chloe Sevigny, Christina Ricci, Michelle Williams, and Penelope Cruz.
Proenza Schouler’s designs have been recognized by internationally acclaimed museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the FIT Museum in New York. Each of these museums has showcased and purchased Proenza Schouler designs as part of their archive.
In 2007, Proenza Schouler partnered with Valentino Fashion Group with goals of becoming a leading label in the world of luxury fashion. Plans include Proenza Schouler retail stores, category extensions (such as shoes, bags, eyewear, fragrance, home and menswear), and exploring other sectors of the luxury market.