Proenza Schouler Fall 2012

A month-long sojourn to Bhutan and Nepal seemed to seep into every detail of Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough's incarnation of Fall's It-girl style. Most evident from their travels? The theme of protection, as seen in overpowering woven leather jackets, strong patchwork, and voluminous structured shapes, took hold in both the realm of outerwear and into the more slouched Far Eastern-influenced short robe dresses and belted skirts presented. A pale blue Asian screen-printed brocade melded into an architecturally perfect ruffled wrap skirt or a draped reworked leather top worn with low-slung oversized wide-leg pants showcased the boys' foray into radically new shapes against refreshing colorways. We couldn't help but admire the seamless interpretation and execution of Asian-inspired traditional dress into what is sure to be a collection of must-have Westernized wardrobe pieces. This season, it was all about the effortlessly cool warrior woman, and as the models marched out one by one as if part of a super-stylish samurai army, that point couldn't have been clearer.

• Trends: Asian-inspired garb, tough protective outerwear, reworked leather, asymmetrical fastenings, and super-slouchy silhouettes.
• Colors: Black, rusted red, orange, gold, pale blue, cream, and burgundy.
• Key Piece: The new voluminous skirt shape; blistered, quilted, and woven leather outerwear.
• Accessories: Thick-heeled riding-inspired heels and boots and antelope fur clutches.
• Who Would Wear It: Proenza Schouler's arsenal of fans, including Liya Kebede, Elizabeth Olsen, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kate Bosworth.

>> There have been a lot of hints this week that volume will be big for Fall 2012. A few days ago, Marc Jacobs had some very large-scale skirts in his mainline collection, and there were several oversized coats on Vera Wang's runway as well. Even Narciso Rodriguez offered up a full-bodied take on his trademark minimalism.

Last night's Proenza Schouler collection may have been the tipping point. Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough riffed on the idea of clothing as protection, and the duo offered it up in boxy silhouettes and very generous proportions. Moto jackets and trousers were cut in powerful, ample shapes, while t-shirts, miniskirts, and long-sleeve dresses all had an element of architecture and structured slouch.

Also worked into the collection was another emerging trend: the Far East. However, Proenza Schouler's version was of the more minimal variety — and a lot less literal than we've seen thus far. Theirs came in the form of kimono shapes, clean lines, obi belts, asymmetric closures, and some beautifully embroidered oriental brocades. "It's Asian, but in a New York way," Hernandez explained.