When the reviews for the Proenza Schouler Resort 2013 collection started rolling in this past summer, I became agitated. Not because of what I saw, but because of what I didn’t – the reviews mentioned a bag known as the Proenza Schouler PS13 that had been shown at the brand’s press previews, but not a single outlet published a picture of it. That was intentional, of course; Proenza Schouler had restricted photos of the bag to keep it away from the eyes of potential counterfeiters and fast-fashion copycats like Zara and Forever 21.
Even in this age of Twitter and Instagram, Proenza was successful; the brand somehow managed to completely shut down any efforts to distribute photos of the much-anticipated design. I googled and googled and tried to ferret my way into the corners of the Internet that might contain any kind of visual on the PS13, and I was rebuffed. Our Forum members tried to do the same thing, a quest at which they are generally successful, and they faced similar failure. Until now.
While I was on vacation last week, a friend tweeted me the image above, from Net-a-Porter’s Cruise 2013 lookbook. Finally, the elusive PS13! What Proenza has done with this bag is clear – it’s a sequal to the ever-popular PS1, so much so that I’m surprised the company isn’t calling it the PS2. It’s a bag meant to be carried everyday and everywhere, with the option of a solid shoulder strap (not long enough for crossbody wear, it would seem) or double top handles that appear to be sturdier than the single handle of the PS1. The design also seems ripe for spinoff shapes – most notably, a clutch in the shape of the bag’s front pouch is on its way. The possibilities for colors, materials and shapes are many.
Vogue magazine seems to agree, which is important for any designer hoping to score a hit, particularly in the US. The influential publication gave the bag, in the black-and-white snakeskin, its coveted back page in the November issue, on newsstands now. One of our Forum members was kind enough to scan Eric Boman’s photo of the bag, below. Vanessa Traina also carried the bag around Paris Fashion Week, but at the time, no one knew what it was. You can also find an action shot of her with the bag below. (If you know who took this photo, please let us know so we can credit appropriately!)
As for pricing? The python version is $6550, according to our Forum members, with the regular leather version listed at $2495 in NAP’s lookbook, which seems a bit high. I would have guessted $1995, based on the photo and Proenza Schouler’s other bag prices, but perhaps the brand is trying to creep its way into a high accessories price bracket. Shop now via Proenza Schouler.
