Proenza Schouler’s Pre-Fall 2017 Lookbook Features 3 Transgender Models

Now more than ever, fashion insiders are working hard to correct the industry’s non-inclusive nature. In a 2016 interview with Man Repeller, Vogue’s Marjon Carlos maintained that greater representation comes from those with clout “putting on” their people: “They could be friends or people whose work you greatly admire, but if you identify a talented individual of color [or any minority]…always throw their hat into the ring.” Proenza Schouler’s latest lookbook underscores Carlos’ words. Photographed by Ethan James Green (a former model and Calvin Klein campaign star), the lookbook stars three transgender models (Stav Strashko, Torraine Futurum and Marcs Marcus), along with Michelle Gutknecht and Emm Arruda. It’s rare for a luxury label to feature so many transgender models in one shoot, even one as relatively “low-stakes” as a Pre-Fall 2017 lookbook. So how did this remarkable casting (oh, to see the day when these things aren’t remarkable at all) come about? Simple: Ethan James Green “put on” his people.

[ Diversity Report: Were the Fall 2016 Fashion Ad Campaigns as Inclusive as Fashion Week? ]

“We have admired Ethan’s work for a while now and have many mutual friends in New York. Ethan’s way of capturing distinct personalities in a socially conscious and progressive way and his strong connection with New York and its underground subcultures is something we respect,” Proenza co-founders Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez told Refinery29. The duo asked Green to cast models he had previously worked with and Green called upon his talented, diverse peers. McCollough and Hernandez more than approved of Green’s choices. “The mix felt right and the overall message of diversity very contemporary,” they told the Cut, adding, “The whole thing felt like the New York we know.” Needless to say, Proenza’s pre-fall offerings are just as strikingly beautiful as their wearers. We strongly suggest you hide your tax refund before exposing your senses to McCollough and Hernandez’s asymmetric hems, cutout knits, dazzling prints, expertly draped hookups and gorgeous platform sandals (now available to shop on proenzaschouler.com). Check out Proenza’s full Pre-Fall 2017 lookbook in the gallery below.

All Images: Ethan James Green for Proenza Schouler