Proenza Shouler Spring 2012

Wow, I'm so behind on my biggest obsession!  Well, I guess I'll speak about the collections that I cannot wait to see in stores over the next couple of months!  One of the standout collections of the New York season for me was Proenza Shouler.  I am pretty obsessed with them as it is, but they've just been killing it season after season.  This time around, it felt as if the boys took inspiration from the island of Cuba in the 50's and 60's.  The proportions were a little fuller than they have been over the past couple of seasons, which was a nice change.  I only say this because these boys were one of the few American design houses to somehow know that body con would become a major trend, infusing neoprene and skin tight clothing into their collections when the innovators of Milan and Paris were doing it.  Their signature cutouts and beautiful layering were all still present, but there was a wonderful addition of patchwork elements this season that felt in tune with what's happening in fashion right now.  This also signaled the return of the knee length skirt, which has been creeping into the scene for the past 3 seasons.  The prints were gorgeous and, as always to be expected, the level of detail and craftsmanship were outstanding.  The girls all felt very much like Proenza girls, which is an amazing feat when a house continues to evolve its aesthetic.  

Navajo Nation

New York Fashion Week has come to a close.  New York was actually a surprise this time around, with many houses showing some pretty directional collections.  In my mind, New York is all about commercial access versus showing the future of fashion.  The trend the surprised me more than any other was a study on American heritage.  This is a trend that has been part of the high street trends for 2 years now, so I thought it was done and it was time to move on.   Proenza Schouler managed to take an existing trend and turn it on it's head.  The American Navajo trend has been in the market since Opening Ceremony started their incredible collaboration with Pendleton two years ago.  Since then, it's been part of American streetwear and is one of the strongest trends to hit the market in a long time.  Because it's already caught on, I never thought a fashion house would go anywhere near it, but I was proven wrong, and thankfully so!  I know I've said this for the past three seasons, but this was definitely Proenza's strongest collection to date!  They managed to reinvent and invigorate an existing trend and make it totally their own.