All the Looks: Proenza Schouler’s Ladylike, Grown-Up Fall 2013 Collection

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, the designers behind Proenza Schouler, have been creating clothes for more than a decade, and in that that span have garnered almost every award that matters, from the inaugural CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award in 2004 to two CFDA awards for Womenswear Designer of the Year—in 2007 and 2011. With a fan base that includes It-girls like Kate Bosworth and Liv Tyler, it’s safe to say that the duo have cornered the market on upscale cool.

For the duo’s Fall 2013 collection, however, the label took a decidedly grown-up approach, favoring exquisitely tailored dresses, soft-shouldered jackets, and textured skirt suits. In contrast to the label’s colorful, patchwork-heavy spring collection, this fall offering is largely minimalist—a study in black and white, with a few soft neutral elements thrown in.

If this might sound traditional, don’t be fooled: Proenza Schouler’s signature innovative textiles are also on full display in the form of chain-link pencil skirts, and “tweed” separates made out of leather woven into strips.

The grown-up look was perhaps influenced by the recent addition of a new store uptown on Madison Avenue in New York, which undoubtedly has opened the label up to a more sophisticated “uptown” set. Or perhaps the Proenza “girl” herself is growing up. Either way, retailers and fashion fans alike can only be pleased with the result—this collection is easily one of the best of New York Fashion Week overall.