Americans in Paris: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez Begin Their New Chapter at Loewe

On a scorching summer afternoon in Paris, Lazaro Hernandez leaned over a piece of leather, his eyes lit with fascination. “Doesn’t it look like watercolor? Like a Rothko painting, the way the shades bleed together… But it’s actually leather—an old skiving technique, only applied in a completely different way.” Nearby, his longtime partner in both life and work, Jack McCollough, tried on a bucket bag in front of a mirror. “What do you think of this curve?” he asked, while Loewe’s design team looked on with excitement.

Earlier this year, the duo made headlines when they announced their departure from Proenza Schouler, the New York–based label they had built from the ground up over 23 years. By April, they had packed up their lives in the city that shaped them and relocated to Paris to take on their new role as Loewe’s creative directors. When I met them at Loewe’s headquarters near Place Vendôme, their apartment was still in boxes—a sign that this new role is not just a career move, but an all-encompassing life shift.

Their appointment is part of a broader wave of change reshaping the fashion landscape in 2025. From Michael Rider’s move to Celine, Matthieu Blazy’s new position at Chanel, to Jonathan Anderson’s much-talked-about departure from Loewe, this year has been defined by dramatic shifts at the top of major fashion houses.

What makes Hernandez and McCollough’s arrival particularly striking is that, unlike many of their peers, they’ve never before helmed a storied maison. Their experience has been shaped entirely by Proenza Schouler. Still, during their first visit to Loewe’s atelier in Getafe, near Madrid, the pair were visibly moved by the artisans who had spent decades perfecting their craft. “You could see them thinking: What are you going to do for Loewe?” McCollough recalled, his voice filled with gratitude.

Friends and industry insiders are eager to see what they’ll create. As Sara Moonves, editor-in-chief of W, put it: “All we’ve ever seen from them is Proenza. Now imagine what they can do with Loewe’s resources, artisans, and materials.”

Hints of their vision are already emerging. One piece of leather, shaved down using ultra-fine skiving until it resembles suede, is layered so seamlessly it looks like pure color melting into itself—less a material than a painting. Hernandez marveled at its effect, while McCollough, quieter, couldn’t hide the spark of excitement in his eyes. “It’s just the two of us, always bouncing ideas off one another… and then suddenly someone tells you they’ve been developing this technique for five years, waiting to share it.” His voice softened into awe.

Source: Vouge

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