Proenza Schouler founders Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez are stepping down as Creative Directors of the brand they founded in 2002, effective January 31, 2025. They will remain on the board and will continue to be minority shareholders. 

Disclosing their departure exclusively to WWD, McCollough and Hernandez said they would remain company shareholders and serve on the board of Proenza Schouler. All parties assured the brand would “continue operations without interruption,” though it is not on the New York Fashion Week official schedule for the Fall Winter 2025 runway season, scheduled for February 6 — 11, 2025.

McCollough and Hernandez reportedly began thinking about exploring other opportunities following the fashion brand’s twentieth anniversary and their new chief executive, Shira Suveyke Snyder, was brought in last October in part to manage the company movement.

“The time feels right to make the personal decision to step down from our day-to-day leadership role at the company and hand over the creative reins to someone new,” Hernandez said in a statement to WWD. “We have always valued risk-taking and a sense of adventure and feel ready to open ourselves up for whatever comes next.”

“While change is never easy, this decision — one we’ve carefully considered — feels like the right step at the right time, at this stage in our lives,” McCollough added.

Per Harper’s Bazaar: ‘The designers have not yet revealed what’s next for them but rumours have intensified in the last week that the duo may be heading to LVMH brand Loewe, though this has yet to be officially confirmed.’

The founder duo, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, who are stepping down after twenty-three years, experienced a tumultuous trajectory at Proenza Schouler. Valentino Fashion Group took a stake in the luxury brand in 2007. Four years later, a group of backers led by John Howard and Andrew Rosen bought most of its stake. Finally, in 2018, Mudrick Capital Management led the designers’ buyback of their company. 

Per The New York Times: ‘It is possible Mr. McCollough and Mr. Hernandez are setting a new precedent when it comes to career paths. But they are also widely rumored to be under consideration to be the new designers of Loewe, the Spanish brand owned by LVMH, replacing Jonathan Anderson, who has been said for months to be heading to Dior. (A spokesman declined to comment on the move.)’

Proenza Schouler

New York based womenswear and accessories brand Proenza Schouler was founded in 2002 by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. The duo met while studying at Parsons School of Design, eventually collaborating on their senior thesis which became their first collection as Proenza Schouler. Named after the designers’ mothers’ maiden names, the collection was bought in its entirety by Barneys New York.

Proenza Schouler makes luxury fashion for the discerning urban woman. The work is defined by the use of fine luxury materials and high quality. Awarded with the inaugural CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund award in 2004, the brand quickly carved a niche in the industry. Proenza Schouler has won five CFDA awards, including the 2003 Swarovski award for Ready-to-Wear, 2009 Accessory Designer of the Year Award, and Womenswear Designer of the Year Award in 2007, 2011, and 2013.

Proenza Schouler launched its first handbag collection in 2008. In 2012, the brand launched their footwear collection which completed their luxury accessories portfolio. Proenza Schouler has also collaborated with leading brands, including L’Oréal, Birkenstock, and Mercedes-Benz. In 2019, Proenza Schouler White Label was launched and derives its aesthetic from elements found throughout the history of the main line, but rendered in a more casual, accessible style.

Per Harpers Bazaar: ‘They took the uptown polish of legends like Donna Karan and Calvin Klein and gave it their own downtown edge. Their catwalk looks proposed infinite ways to think about everyday dressing, particularly for the American woman. They paired futuristic, bustier maillots with belted Bermuda shorts and bright bandage tops with classic pleated A-line skirts – elegance and glamour smashed together with kink.’

Proenza Schouler has a flagship at 121 Greene Street in New York, and is sold in over 350 stores worldwide, including Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Harrods, Galeries Lafayette, and Printemps. The brand is available on its official website and through e-commerce retail partners.