February 12, 2026 |
It’s been a wild year for Rachel Scott. Last September she pulled double duty, staging a runway show for her brand Diotima as well as a presentation for Proenza Schouler following her appointment as creative director. And this time around, her schedule is equally as hectic.
Yesterday she showed her first formal collection for Proenza Schouler (with her own label to follow on Sunday), a highly anticipated debut for a name that’s become a cornerstone of New York fashion week. With a front row that included Bridgerton’s Yerin Ha, director Celine Song, Tommy Dorfman and more, it was clear that not only was the fashion set curious, so too was Hollywood. How would she follow in the footsteps of the departed founders, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, while still making her own mark? The answer was simple: craft a collection for women by a woman who understands the nuances of modern hectic life.
Per the show notes left on each seat, autumn/winter 2026 is fittingly called The First Women’s Collection by Rachel Scott. Opening with a twisted green dress worn with fringed heels, it’s clear that Scott’s vision is an evolution of the foundation laid by McCollough and Hernandez. She’s creative and intelligent, but far from perfect. There’s a sense of contradiction that’s grounded in reality – Scott is not elevating an imaginary figure. Instead, she’s designing for herself and the women around her who are messy in some shape or form but pretending like they can hold it all together. That’s evident as the show evolves, with each model walking at a brisk pace. She’s in a hurry and because of that, all of her clothes are slightly askew and rumpled. Regardless, it still looks good.
Scott doesn’t eschew many of the signatures left by her predecessors. There’s still soft tailoring, accented with contrast buttons. The long dresses, worn with squared-off heels remain as well. Handbags are still practical, with plenty of room for daily essentials, but she’s also unafraid to add her own flourishes like the floral print, made by manipulating photos of night orchids. Grommets, fringe and twisted yarns – textural notes – reflect her namesake label’s love of colour and tactility. And perhaps the last few dresses really exemplified a meeting of two worlds, with their swishy silhouettes and liberal smattering of grommets. Welcome to the Rachel Scott era of Proenza Schouler; it’s going to be a delightfully unexpected one.
Photography courtesy of Proenza Schouler.
