Wednesday Brand Name Pronunciation: Proenza Schouler

Proenza Schouler
Pronunciation: pro-en-za skool-er
Proenza’s perfect honeymoon look.

Cocktail Chatter Cliff’s Notes: Can you imagine partnering with your former lover on a luxury design brand, like Proenza Schouler designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough did? And then to name the label after your mothers’ maiden names? So avante garde! You can totally see their Parsons School of Design breeding in their mod, edgy, and tailored clothing style.
It’s such a Cinderella story how Hernandez got the label’s big break: he encountered the Fairy Godmother of Fashion, Vogue Editor Anna Wintour, on a plane, and convinced the stewardess to send her a napkin detailing his love and vision for fashion. A few weeks later Hernandez got a call from Michael Kors, courtesy of Wintour, and went to work. Now one of the most popular fashion lines on the runway today, when Proenza Schouler’s first collection debuted in Barney’s, the entire rack was purchased by none other than the two teenage daughters of Danielle Steele!