Proenza Schouler S/S 2020 New York Fashion Week Women's

Backstage at Proenza Schouler S/S 2020
Proenza Schouler S/S 2020.
(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Mood board: Power dressing doesn't come quite close enough to summing up the bold and bolshy collection Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez put together  for Spring/Summer 2020. Boxy suits in light pastel shades, worn with beautifully draped cropped tops and slinky cowl neck tanks, jostled for attention with diaphonously sculpted cut-out dresses that boasted sharp v-necklines for added impact. The elongated and ever so slightly exaggerated silhouettes may not have been overtly sexy, but easily seduced viewers with their confidence and unrelenting sense of control. Definitely one for the woman in charge.

Finishing touches: Proenza Schouler's accessory offering, which included white leather booties and snaking leather sandals in shades of white, grey and marigold, was equally self-assured to match. Handbags ranged from no-nonsense oversized totes, loosely slung over the shoulder, to architectural pochettes with mismatched wrist straps - an enticing talking point in their own right. Finished with large gold hoop earrings and chunky sunglasses in black or tortoise shell, there was no doubting here who is boss.

Best in show: While suiting may have kicked off the show, the range of eveningwear on display was particularly breathtaking, especially with the incorporation of several, eye-catching fabrics, like a metallic foil paint splatter print, this season. Building upon past dress successes, which did reappear ocassionally in new iterations here, the duo also experimented with new silhouettes, including a slinky, glittering scoop-necked dress and a draped jersey gown, which alluring wrapped around a leather choker, while revealing carefully placed cut-outs for an added geometric effect. Even an evening duster coat, with an open square neckline, was quickly elevated with contrasting black foldover panels over the shoulder and lapels. Cool and collected, this was a definite highlight of the season.  

Proenza Schouler S/S 2020.

(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Proenza Schouler Show

(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Proenza Schouler Fashion Show

(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Proenza Schouler S/S 2020. 

(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Pei-Ru Keh is a former US Editor at Wallpaper*. Born and raised in Singapore, she has been a New Yorker since 2013. Pei-Ru held various titles at Wallpaper* between 2007 and 2023. She reports on design, tech, art, architecture, fashion, beauty and lifestyle happenings in the United States, both in print and digitally. Pei-Ru took a key role in championing diversity and representation within Wallpaper's content pillars, actively seeking out stories that reflect a wide range of perspectives. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children, and is currently learning how to drive.