Proenza Schouler Spring/Summer 2011

We wanted it to be a little more polished," designer Jack McCollough said in a backstage before the Proenza Schouler presentation in New York recently. Co-designer Lazaro Hernandez jumped in saying "So we took all these feminine codes—the embroideries, the flowers—and mixed them up in our own way. We wanted to do something without any obvious references."

With bold, oversize, arts-and-crafts-y necklaces; and slipdresses flounced with ruffles and worn over retro bras and briefs, 'feminine' it was, resulting in the first Proenza Schouler collection I liked from start to finish.