Proenza Schouler Designers Step Down, Rumored to Join Loewe
The duo's last day will mark the end of an era for the brand, which is starting its search for new creative directors.
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, Proenza Schouler's founders and creative directors, announced they were stepping down Wednesday morning.
The duo will officially leave their posts on January 31, less than a week before New York Fashion Week kicks off, though the label was already a notable absence from the schedule, and this seems to explain why. They founded the luxury brand in 2002, and it has since become a fixture in fashion, particularly in the New York scene, thanks to its bold silhouettes, artisanal details, and edge. McCollough and Hernandez are searching for the next creative director alongside CEO Shira Suveyeke Snyder.
"The time feels right to make the personal decision to step down from our day-to-day leadership role at the company and hand over the creative reins to someone new,” Hernandez said in a statement to WWD.
“We have always valued risk-taking and a sense of adventure and feel ready to open ourselves up for whatever comes next... while change is never easy, this decision—one we’ve carefully considered— feels like the right step at the right time, at this stage in our lives,” McCollough added.
While neither designers have officially shared news on their next move, Puck's Lauren Sherman reported that they're headed for Loewe, where Jonathan Anderson currently serves as creative director. Neither LVMH or Loewe have commented on the news.
“We have had the incredible honor of leading a team of extraordinary people, some of whom have been with us since day one. In them we have complete confidence—they know us inside and out, and we are confident that we have been able to impart some of the feelings and ideas that fuel us,” the duo continued in their emailed interview with WWD. “We look forward to seeing how the new creative lead will lean into the team’s incredible talents and evolve the existing codes through their personal lens."
McCollough and Hernandez met while studying at Parsons School of Design in New York City, and their label (which combines their mothers' maiden names) was born as a senior thesis project, which Barneys bought in its entirety. The duo kept making waves in fashion, including winning the CFDA Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent in 2003 and winning the CFDA's Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2007, 2011, and 2013. All eyes will be on who fills the post next at the beloved American label, worn by names from Chloë Sevigny to Michelle Obama.
