Proenza Schouler
A New York luxury womenswear and accessories brand known for modern tailoring, expressive materials, and art-driven design.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Proenza Schouler is a New York luxury fashion brand founded in 2002 by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. The designers met while studying at Parsons School of Design and developed their senior thesis collection together; that work became the basis of the label's first collection, which was purchased in its entirety by Barneys New York. The brand's name combines the maiden names of the designers' mothers: Proenza was Hernandez's mother's maiden name, while Schouler was McCollough's. The label established a reputation for sophisticated womenswear that combines precise tailoring with experimental construction, unusual surfaces, strong prints, and references to contemporary art and youth culture. Its business expanded from ready-to-wear into footwear, handbags, swimwear, fragrance development, and other accessories. The PS1 satchel, introduced in 2008, became the brand's most recognizable product and helped establish Proenza Schouler as a significant accessories house as well as a runway label. The company developed through a mixture of direct retail, wholesale distribution, licensing arrangements, and investment partnerships. It opened its first standalone store on Madison Avenue in New York in 2012, followed by a Soho location in 2013, and has been distributed through international luxury retailers including Bergdorf Goodman, Harvey Nichols, Le Bon Marché, and Lane Crawford. In 2007, Valentino Fashion Group acquired a 45 percent stake. The founders later worked with additional investors, including Andrew Rosen and John Howard, while Castanea Partners acquired a minority interest in 2015 and appointed Judd Crane as chief executive. In late 2018, McCollough and Hernandez, with private-investor support, bought back Castanea's shares and regained full ownership of the label. Proenza Schouler has also used collaborations and moving-image projects to extend its creative identity. Partnerships have included J Brand, MAC Cosmetics, Le Bon Marché, filmmaker Harmony Korine, and artists and image-makers such as Harley Weir and Jen Brill. In 2017, the company moved away from the conventional ready-to-wear calendar, combining its main and pre-collections and presenting twice yearly on a schedule aligned with the couture calendar, with runway activity shifting from New York to Paris. That year it also introduced White Label, a more casual line centered on items such as denim and T-shirts. Leadership changed significantly in the 2020s. Shira Suveyke Snyder became chief executive in October 2024, succeeding Kay Hong, who had held the position since 2018. In January 2025, the founders announced that they would stop designing for Proenza Schouler while remaining minority shareholders and board members; they subsequently moved to design for Loewe. In August 2025, the company announced Rachel Scott, founder and designer of Diotima, as creative director overseeing the mainline, White Label, handbags, and footwear. Her first Proenza Schouler presentation was scheduled for February 2026 for the fall 2026 collection. The brand therefore entered a new creative phase while retaining continuity through its founders' ownership interests and board participation.
History
Proenza Schouler was established in New York in 2002 by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, who had met at Parsons School of Design. Their collaboration began with a senior thesis project, and the resulting collection was purchased in full by Barneys New York. The early reception helped position the young label within New York's emerging luxury-fashion scene. The brand's name was formed from the maiden names of the designers' mothers, giving the company a personal identity while avoiding a conventional founder-name label. The designers developed a womenswear language based on sharp tailoring, unconventional construction, graphic pattern, layered textures, and a dialogue with contemporary art and popular culture. Although initially known primarily for ready-to-wear, Proenza Schouler broadened its commercial scope during the 2000s and 2010s. Its first footwear collection appeared in 2008 through a license with Giuseppe Zanotti and Vicini, and a later footwear agreement was signed with Onward Luxury Group in 2012. The same year as its first shoe collection, the company introduced the PS1 handbag, a satchel that became its signature accessory and an important contributor to the brand's wider recognition. Further category expansion followed. In 2014, Proenza Schouler entered swimwear through a licensing agreement with Swimwear Anywhere. In 2015, it signed an agreement with L'Oréal for the development and creation of fine fragrances. The brand also developed a more accessible casual expression: White Label launched in November 2017 with basics including denim and T-shirts. These initiatives allowed the label to operate across runway fashion, accessories, and selected licensed categories without abandoning its high-end design identity. Ownership and management changed several times. Valentino Fashion Group acquired a 45 percent stake in 2007. In 2011, Proenza Schouler announced a partnership with a group of investors that included Andrew Rosen and John Howard. Castanea Partners acquired a minority interest in 2015 and appointed Judd Crane as chief executive. In the final quarter of 2018, the founders and private investors bought back Castanea's shares, restoring full ownership to the label's founder-led group. Retail development accompanied the investment and product expansion. The first Proenza Schouler store opened at 822 Madison Avenue in New York in 2012, with architecture by David Adjaye. A second New York store opened on Greene Street in Soho in 2013. The brand also maintained a wholesale presence through prominent luxury retailers in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including Bergdorf Goodman, Harvey Nichols, Le Bon Marché, and Lane Crawford. The company treated film, art, and retail presentation as extensions of its fashion work. Its collaborations included a hand-painted denim collection with J Brand in 2010, an original film with Harmony Korine that presented the fall 2010 collection, a limited reissue of the fall 2003 collection for Barneys New York in 2013, and a limited-edition makeup collaboration with MAC Cosmetics in 2014. That year, a partnership with Le Bon Marché combined a capsule collection with an exhibition featuring historical looks, documentary material, and an interactive installation. Later projects with Harley Weir and Jen Brill produced films for the spring 2015 and pre-fall 2016 collections. Proenza Schouler received substantial industry recognition. It won the inaugural CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2004, the CFDA Swarovski Award for Ready-to-Wear in 2003, and the CFDA Accessory Designer of the Year award in 2009. The designers won CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year awards in 2007, 2011, and 2013. Other recognition included the Accessories Council ACE Designer of the Year award in 2014, Fashion Group International's Fashion Star Award, and a Best Fashion Film award at Fashion Film Festival Milano for “Legs Are Not Doors” in 2015. The brand was also included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 2016 exhibition “Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology.” In 2017, the label changed its presentation model by leaving the traditional ready-to-wear calendar, combining its main and pre-collections, and showing twice annually on a couture-aligned schedule. The move shifted runway presentations from New York to Paris. A later leadership transition began in 2024, when Shira Suveyke Snyder became chief executive, succeeding Kay Hong. In January 2025, McCollough and Hernandez announced that they would no longer design the collections, though they would remain board members and minority shareholders. In August 2025, Rachel Scott, founder of Diotima, was announced as the new creative director for all major product categories. Her first presentation was scheduled for February 2026 for fall 2026, marking the beginning of a new creative chapter for the active brand.
- 2025
Founders leave design leadership
[1]McCollough and Hernandez ceased designing for the brand while remaining on its board and as minority shareholders.
- 2025
Rachel Scott appointed creative director
[1]Rachel Scott was appointed to lead design across the mainline, White Label, handbags, and footwear.
- 2024
Shira Suveyke Snyder becomes chief executive
[1]Snyder succeeded Kay Hong as chief executive officer.
- 2018
Founders regain full ownership
[1]The founders and private investors bought back Castanea Partners' shares.
- 2017
White Label launches and calendar strategy changes
[1]Proenza Schouler introduced White Label and announced a shift from the traditional ready-to-wear calendar to a couture-aligned schedule.
- 2015
Castanea Partners acquires a minority interest
[1]Castanea Partners acquired a minority interest and appointed Judd Crane chief executive.
- 2014
Expansion into swimwear and cosmetics collaboration
[1]The brand entered swimwear through licensing and collaborated with MAC Cosmetics on limited-edition makeup.
- 2013
Second New York store and anniversary reissue
[1]The company opened a Soho store and released a limited reissue of its fall 2003 collection through Barneys New York.
- 2012
First standalone store opens
[1]Proenza Schouler opened its first store at 822 Madison Avenue in New York.
- 2008
Launch of footwear and the PS1 handbag
[1]The brand introduced its first shoe collection and launched the PS1 satchel, which became its signature handbag.
Products and positioning
New York luxury fashion positioned at the intersection of modern tailoring, experimental craftsmanship, contemporary art, and premium accessories.
Women's luxury apparel · 2002
Ready-to-wear
The core Proenza Schouler line consists of women's luxury ready-to-wear shaped by architectural tailoring, experimental fabric treatment, graphic prints, and a balance between polished construction and youthful, unconventional styling. The collections have historically been presented as runway-led seasonal fashion and form the main expression of the founders' design language.
Handbag · 2008
PS1
Introduced in 2008, the PS1 is a satchel that became Proenza Schouler's signature handbag. Its utilitarian references and structured silhouette helped translate the brand's runway identity into a highly recognizable accessories product and supported the company's development as a broader luxury house.
Luxury footwear · 2008
Footwear
The brand's footwear line began in 2008 through a license with Giuseppe Zanotti and Vicini, followed by a new licensing agreement with Onward Luxury Group in 2012. Footwear collections extend the label's emphasis on sculptural forms, refined materials, and runway-oriented styling.
Swimwear · 2014
Swimwear
Proenza Schouler expanded into swimwear in 2014 through a licensing agreement with Swimwear Anywhere, extending its fashion design and print language into a specialized seasonal category.
Casual apparel · 2017
White Label
White Label is the brand's casual sister collection, launched in 2017. It focuses on everyday pieces such as denim and T-shirts, offering a more relaxed counterpart to the mainline's runway-oriented luxury womenswear.
Fragrance · 2015
Fine fragrances
In 2015, Proenza Schouler signed a licensing agreement with L'Oréal for the development and creation of fine fragrances. The agreement represented an extension of the brand into beauty and scent rather than a change to its core apparel identity.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016PS I Love You (Ithigi Lithigove Yithigou)
International
Proenza Schouler again worked with Harley Weir and Jen Brill on a film accompanying the pre-fall 2016 collection.
Outcome. Fashion film released
- 2015Legs Are Not Doors
International
Harley Weir and Jen Brill collaborated with the brand on an original video featuring the spring 2015 collection.
Outcome. Fashion film released; received Best Fashion Film at Fashion Film Festival Milano
- 2014Le Bon Marché capsule and exhibition
France · International
Proenza Schouler partnered with Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche on a capsule collection and an exhibition presenting archival runway looks, documentary material, and an interactive installation.
Outcome. Retail capsule and brand exhibition
- 2010J Brand hand-painted denim collaboration
International
Proenza Schouler created an exclusive collection of hand-painted denim with J Brand, using collaboration to bring its art-oriented visual language to a denim product.
Outcome. Limited collaboration
- 2010Act Da Fool
International
The brand worked with filmmaker Harmony Korine on an original video presenting the fall 2010 collection.
Outcome. Fashion film released
Brand decisions
2025
Transition to new creative leadershipStrategyBackground
After more than two decades of design leadership, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez announced that they would stop designing for the company.
Action taken
The founders retained board positions and minority ownership, while Rachel Scott was appointed creative director across the mainline, White Label, handbags, and footwear.
Aftermath
Scott's first Proenza Schouler presentation was scheduled for February 2026 for the fall 2026 collection.
2018
Buyback of Castanea Partners' sharesM&ABackground
Castanea Partners had held a minority interest in the company since 2015.
Action taken
The founders, with support from private investors, bought back Castanea Partners' shares.
Aftermath
The founders reclaimed full ownership of the label.
2017
Move away from the traditional ready-to-wear calendarStrategyBackground
The brand sought to align its presentation cycle more closely with the couture calendar and consolidate its seasonal output.
Action taken
Proenza Schouler merged its main and pre-collections, presented only twice a year, and moved runway activity from New York to Paris.
Aftermath
The change established a more limited, couture-aligned presentation schedule and coincided with the launch of the casual White Label line.
Recent events
- 2025
Proenza Schouler founders announce departure from design leadership[1]
Leadership change
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez announced that they would cease designing for Proenza Schouler while remaining on the board and retaining minority shareholdings. They subsequently moved to design for Loewe.
- 2025
Proenza Schouler appoints Rachel Scott as creative director[1]
Leadership change
The brand appointed Diotima founder and designer Rachel Scott to oversee mainline ready-to-wear, White Label, handbags, and footwear. Her first presentation was scheduled for February 2026.
- 2024
Proenza Schouler names Shira Suveyke Snyder chief executive[1]
Leadership change
Shira Suveyke Snyder was appointed chief executive officer, succeeding Kay Hong, who had held the role since 2018.
- 2018
Founders regain full ownership from Castanea Partners[1]
M&A
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, supported by private investors, bought back Castanea Partners' shares and reclaimed full ownership of the label.
- 2017
Proenza Schouler shifts to a couture-calendar presentation schedule[1]
Other
The brand announced that it would leave the traditional ready-to-wear calendar, merge its main and pre-collections, and present twice annually in alignment with the couture calendar.
Sources2 sources
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