Get Schooled by Proenza Schouler With a Lesson in Downtown Cool

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez took a definite departure from their past two collections, which eased up on graphic elements, and went whole hog with prints that looked like abstracted versions of everything from giraffe skin to zebra stripes to wood grain and beyond.

There wasn't a single look in the collection that didn't involve prints, but a closer look reveals that many of them were actually more complicated, but the design duo grounded them in the shapes that have become their signatures, like this structured top connected to an orange-and-black skirt.

If the clothes weren't cool enough, the shoes definitely made a statement. Every single model wore flats, making the pieces even easier to move around in.

And where buttons or fur didn't do the talking, the designers let strips of shiny metallic fabric help their clothes capture attention.

But even though the lines were mostly clean, there was some surface decoration in this collaboration.

Proenza Schouler's Spring 2014 collection saw a continuation of the minimalist bent the designers took on in the previous season.

Feathered and fringed made a statement in a black and white palette.

Ladylike and finished in soft ivory, Proenza's new suit was on everyone's wish list for Fall '14.

Sex appeal, restraint, and Jack and Lazaro's quintessentially cool eye were all at work in this semisheer black dress from the Fall '14 runway.

Patchwork got a new meaning from geometric blocks of color and pattern.

Lacy tops met colorblock skirts and gladiator boots for a tough edge.

Sleekly tailored dresses were canvases for strong color and graphic prints.

Intricate brocade and nods to the Far East defined the Fall dresses.

Proenza Schouler unveiled cool wrap skirts on the Fall '12 runway.

The boys of Proenza Schouler took to pairing prints and textures in unique ways — in this shot, we see vibrant florals paired with a cobalt-blue leather circle skirt.

Tropical prints took the runway on ladylike cuts.

Structured, ladylike silhouettes with unexpected edge defined the shape of Proenza Schouler Spring '12.

They also featured tribal-inspired prints.

For Fall '11, the designers played with large-scale colorblocking and slimfitting silhouettes.

Proenza's sheer layers. Leighton Meester wore this dress in rust.

Ethereal softness defined Proenza Spring 2011.

The cutout dress also continued into Fall '10.

Fall 2010 was punky and marked by bold pattern.

The babydoll cutout dress highlighted Proenza's ability to mix girlie with cool.

Proenza's Spring 2010 collection had a bold "city girl who surfs" vibe.

Yet they still supplied their dose of original pattern and texture.

An off-shoulder dress marked Proenza's return to polished looks in Fall 2009.

They used technical fabrics to reimagine ladylike outfits.

For Spring 2009, the theme was sporty and tough.

Yellow became a repeat color for Proenza.

Fall 2008 was about colorblock and big bows.

We also saw their love for yellow.

Spring 2008 was marked by short skirts and cinched waists.

The coats were elegant but bold, Proenza style.

Proenza went ladylike and totally sophisticated for Fall 2007.

The body-conscious stripes were a highlight of their Spring 2007 collection.

Raquel Zimmermann looked fantastic in this little striped dress for Spring 2007.

A slim-fitted coatdress in Fall 2006.

Leather pants and a total city-chic look in Fall 2006.

And part girlie romance.

Spring 2006 was part easy-breezy lightness.

There was also a play on textures and prints.

Fall 2005 featured a play in contrasts. Here, menswear trousers and a bustier top.

The bustier became one of Proenza's iconic looks.

Spring 2005 saw Liya Kebede strut in a purple pencil and floral-printed bustier.

. . . and sporty, but edgy, separates.

For Fall 2004, there was the bustier cup dress.

A deco-inspired dress for Spring 2004.

Proenza Schouler debuted in Spring 2004 with preppy silhouettes, soft dresses, and techy fabrics.