Proenza Schouler

The PS1 is the brand's signature handbag and arguably its most enduring design, so it is a reasonable investment if you want an instantly recognisable everyday satchel. Launched in 2008, it became the piece that defined Proenza Schouler and won the brand a CFDA accessories award. Owners praise its easy, hard-working versatility; expect a distinctive look you will either love or find a touch utilitarian.

It sits firmly in modern American luxury, founded in 2002 in New York by two designers and quickly garlanded with awards, including the inaugural CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund in 2004 and five CFDA awards in total. That design pedigree, plus distribution through high-end retailers like Bergdorf Goodman and Le Bon Marché, places it at a luxury price point rather than a contemporary one.

It is not a person's name. Proenza Schouler combines the maiden names of the two founders' mothers: Proenza is the maiden name of Lazaro Hernandez's mother, and Schouler is the maiden name of Jack McCollough's mother. The pairing has been the label's identity since its launch.

The brand was founded in 2002 by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, who met studying at Parsons School of Design and turned their senior thesis into the first collection. In January 2025 the pair announced they would stop designing for the label, while remaining on the board as minority shareholders, and went on to design for Loewe.

In August 2025, Proenza Schouler appointed Rachel Scott, founder and designer of Diotima, as creative director across all categories, from mainline ready-to-wear to White Label, handbags and footwear. Her first collection for the brand is set to debut in February 2026 with the fall 2026 collection.

McCollough and Hernandez collaborated on their senior thesis at Parsons, which became their debut collection. In a now-famous early break, the entire collection was bought by Barneys New York, launching the label straight into the luxury conversation in 2002.

White Label is the brand's "sister" collection of more casual basics, such as denim and T-shirts, launched in November 2017. The mainline is the higher, runway-led ready-to-wear, while White Label offers an easier, everyday entry into the brand's world.

In 2017 the brand announced it was leaving the traditional ready-to-wear calendar to align with the couture calendar. That move shifted its runway shows from New York to Paris and merged its main and pre-collections, so it now shows twice a year.

Considerably. Beyond the inaugural CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund award in 2004, the brand has been named CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year three times, in 2007, 2011 and 2013, and won Accessory Designer of the Year in 2009. In 2016 it was featured in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Manus x Machina exhibition.

Beyond its own stores, the brand is sold in more than 350 retailers worldwide, including Bergdorf Goodman, Harvey Nichols, Le Bon Marché and Lane Crawford. Its first standalone store, designed by architect David Adjaye, opened on Madison Avenue in New York in 2012.