At Proenza Schouler, rumors swirled that Chloë Sevigny would walk the runway. The rumors were true, and then some: New York’s consummate It girl also narrated the show, via fictional journal entries written by Ottessa Moshfegh. Each one was dated February 11—the same day as the presentation. “Last night there was a party for a young artist uptown.” “Charlotte came home from school with a scratch across her forehead.” “When I was little, I had dreams about flying through the city at night.” “Listened to Disintegration on the subway to Brooklyn.” The words floated around the Chelsea Factory like a melancholic reverie, a compelling case for pulling back the proverbial curtain of womanhood and letting a room full of people peek in.
Yesterday, that room included OG New Yorkers Natasha Lyonne and Jemima Kirke, who was delightfully snacking on a croissant, along with newly-crowned royalty like First Daughter of Bushwick Ella Emhoff and SNL’s Chloe Fineman. Like the rest of us, they descended on the Chelsea venue to witness the timeless beauty of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez’s designs.
The collection was made up of wardrobe staples that were both functional and versatile—clothes the Proenza woman would wear. Maxi skirts, knit dresses, and navy suits with citrus-colored button-downs were accompanied by tote bags held at the hip. Day progressed into night with long maxi dresses featuring frontal slits and a metallic crinkled dress and pants; more passages detailed fast-paced life in the city, the constant daily grind, the crushing weight of responsibilities as we get older, and a nostalgia for the halcyon days when things were simple. Speaking of, we couldn’t help but notice a new bag shape that bore a striking similarity to the iconic PS1 silhouette.
A classic, brought up to date—just like Proenza Schouler.
Claire Stern is the Deputy Editor of ELLE.com. Previously, she served as Editor at Bergdorf Goodman. Her interests include fashion, food, travel, music, Peloton, and The Hills—not necessarily in that order. She used to have a Harriet the Spy notebook and isn’t ashamed to admit it.
