To have Chloë Sevigny open your show is at once a simple detail and a firm declaration of self-assuredness. Calm and nearly bare-faced, hair styled so as to appear un-styled (archetypal Sevigny), her presence epitomized the collection to follow: a rejection of trend dressing, a defense of the essential, an ode to the everyday.

Of the Fall/Winter 2023 collection, Proenza Schouler’s Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough explained: “It is simply a collection of clothing we find compelling and essential right now, a complete wardrobe.” The idea that an individual would have a collection of garments that work together, that “complete” one another, rather than a selection of abstract pieces, has been regularly eschewed in recent years in an effort to sell product in a digital landscape predicated on abstraction.

But Lazaro and Jack have grown tired of the Instagram age wherein the objective of fashion design has, in many cases, shifted to making clothes that look good in an image, rather than making clothes that look (and feel) good when living a life. This collection was made with an interest in the latter.

Wool blazers belted over crushed satin shirts craft a strong silhouette, balancing the inherent femininity of mid-length skirts and long, loose nappa leather boots.

In combining pale gold metallic leather pants, a grey crew neck sweater, and a beige, double-breasted wool coat, classic American style strikes as adventurous and modern.

Likewise, subtle pops of yellow, royal blue, amber, and deep red break up an otherwise neutral palette, but in staying close to the primary color wheel, these bright shades feel equally effortless.

Soft silk and viscose dresses were cut in such a way that they could easily be paired with the myriad of knit sweaters, jackets, and leather boots present throughout the show.

In that sense, the collection is considerate—each garment made for a woman who needs her wardrobe to be as utilitarian as it is beautiful. It’s that kind of flexibility, that curated ease, that proves to be the ultimate luxury.