Call it the Raf Simons effect. Ever since the designer’s two ingenious couture collections for the house of Dior, a resurgence of interest in couture embroideries and silhouettes has been trickling through the collections. And leave it to Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez to take a tried aesthetic and modernize it at Proenza Schouler.

Sasha Pivovarova opened the show in a deceptively simple black and white ensemble, yet the sophisticated precision of a rounded shoulder showed just how far Proenza Schouler has come since being the progenitor of “downtown chic.” If anything, the stoic elegance of a white leather shift dress feels more at home at the brand’s Madison Avenue boutique. 

The designers stuck to a color palette of mostly black and white, focusing on fabrics. Softness was a key factor in laser-cut materials and fused embroideries, which were spectacular and special, demarcating the brand as top-tier in luxury. The price point for this collection certainly won’t be in the “attainable” category, but then again why should it be? Proenza Schoulder’s customer knows that couture isn’t about the way something looks, it’s about the way it feels.