Jack and Lazaro Hernandez are a rare breed amongst their contemporaries – fashion designers with such a clarity of personal vision that it pervades each Proenza Schouler collection with a potent acidity. Their constantly evolving narrative holds a pulsing rhythm – exploring and re-visiting their own codes while pushing forward with a subversive sophistication.

Drawing inspirations from their familiar stomping grounds (sometimes New York schoolgirls, or the Miami surf) their references never appear literally, but rather surface in details that untie the classic notions of uptown dressing that initially outline the Proenza Schouler aesthetic at first glance.

For Spring Summer 2011 the ideas of tweed tailoring, lingerie and the A-line shift dress were keynotes for a wardrobe that emphasized chic, lady-like cuts rendered in exotic hues, dyes and unexpected textures. New Australian face Julia Nobis opened the show in ivory tweed to Michel Gaubert’s soundtrack of light strings, accompanied by lilting vocal scales that lent an off-kilter classical mood to the harshly lit West 20th street space. Delicate twisted cut-outs ran down the spine of shibori silk blouses, and an uneven hem fell long in the back of sheer slip dresses – the weight of hanging hook & eye closures creating an unusual tension.

The colour palette shifted from pale lilac, apricot and stone through watermelon, orange and lime sequin embroidery to enter a hypercolour slew of guipure lace dresses that came in electric pink, orange and yellow. Triangle bras by Jean Yu peeped out beneath many looks – exposed by bib-cut necklines and the sheer, ruffle-seamed negligées that the boys proposed for hot summer nights.

To see the full collection, click here.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U717cXtrKtI[/youtube]

Credits:

Styling: Marie Chaix
Hair: Paul Hanlon
Makeup: Diane Kendal
Music: Michel Gaubert & Steven Brinke for N.O.I.S.E.
Lighting design: Thierry Dreyfus