NEW YORK — As New York was grinding to a halt in the spring, Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough, the designers behind Proenza Schouler, were a world away, trekking in Patagonia. They came back to a changed city.
"Those first couple of weeks were obviously spent just figuring out how to keep the company afloat," says Hernandez. Then the duo realized they had to start drawing their next collection. They sat in their studio in Massachusetts "with a blank sheet of paper, a pencil, blank walls, and we're like, 'All right, here we go … what are we gonna draw?' We had NO idea."
What eventually emerged was a collection, just released, that dispensed with much of the spectacle and structure of a fashion show — because for once, there wasn't going to BE a show — and focused on ease, heavy on soft fabrics and, strikingly, shoes that resemble mini-puffer jackets. "We wanted a sense of serenity to the collection," says McCollough. Of course, they also didn't know if anyone was going to feel like buying clothes.
The designers also had to figure out how to present their wares. Most labels have been embracing digital presentations. Proenza Schouler opted to make a hardcover book — "something that stands the test of time" — setting models against evocative New York settings like midtown at sunset or amidst skateboarders in the park.
The designers have also been thinking about longterm changes to the way they and their colleagues work. Maybe, they mused in an interview, less is more, and they don't need to do runway shows with every collection.
"Maybe we don't need to be in this rat race of a show every season," says McCollough.
The interview has been edited and condensed for length.
AP: Everyone in New York has a story about where they were when the city suddenly shut down in the spring. What's yours?