Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough's recent trek through the Himalayas rubbed off on their pre-fall collection. We can see the magazine photo shoots now: Proenza Schouler girl on the side of a mountain in a nylon and mesh color-blocked shirtdress with bungee cord detailing, and on her feet, rubber-tipped pumps.
As sporty and technical as their reference points were—tweed jackets modeled after mountaineering parkas, button-downs made from windbreaker nylon, quilted coats that took cues from sleeping bags—the collection was quite polished. Here's another good example: The silk jacquard of a matching bustier top and skirt was an aerial view of mountains that they pulled from Google Earth, but looked like it could've been crushed velvet. The Velcro closure on the wrap skirt kept the tech-y couture motif going.
Riffing on house classics is a proven method for the ten-year-old brand. This season's take on their signature bustier baby-doll dress comes with a performance mesh shell and a bungee cord drawstring below the bust. It has starlet-on-the-rise written all over it. Their New York cohort, on the other hand, will be pleased to see their tweedy lady jackets in bright shades of coral and emerald green, as well as a handbag offering in iguana leather, a luxe new material for them that's pricier than python but not quite in crocodile territory.
