A recent trip to Tahiti inspired Proenza Schouler's beachy Resort collection. That, and the surf and skate cultures that Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough grew up on. The former came across in the sarong-wrap, fluttery-hemmed minidresses in faded floral prints and a halter-neck leather dress with cutouts above the bust. And you could see the latter in the tweed drawstring-waist swim trunks worn with the duo's downtown-preppy take on the Fair Isle sweater, as well as in the scuba suit-style color-blocking of a fitted tank tucked into low-slung trousers. As easy and laid-back as the influences may have been, the Proenza Schouler client remains a city girl at heart, so the designers made sure that the clothes were versatile and hardworking. Worn with a long-sleeve tie-dye T-shirt, a handwoven silk tweed drop-waist minidress could be office-appropriate, but lose the tee and the little frock would happily do double duty at a formal party—a party not unlike the one happening June 18 in Florence, Italy, where Hernandez and McCollough are the special guests at Pitti W. The designers certainly justified their recent CFDA Accessory award with this collection. In addition to coming up with bright new colors for their popular PS1 bag, they showed striped cotton and leather totes and trimmed their Nile perch sandals with raffia.
