The fashion industry’s dizzying game of creative director musical chairs has been noticeably lacking in both female names and designers of color. Proenza Schouler is finally shaking things up: On Tuesday, the New York-based label announced Diotima designer Rachel Scott as its new creative director. She replaces founders Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, who succeeded Jonathan Anderson at Loewe. 

She will step into the role effective immediately and present her first collection for Fall 2026, set to be shown in February 2026.

“It is with great excitement that I join Proenza Schouler, a brand at the heart of American Fashion, and one I have long admired. I hold deep respect for the beauty and world Jack and Lazaro so brilliantly crafted, and I look forward to bringing my perspective in dialogue with their legacy,” Scott said in a press statement.

McCollough and Hernandez said, “When we left Proenza Schouler last January, we knew the story would go on, but not yet who would write the next chapter. Rachel is someone whose work we have always admired. Her trajectory over the last few years has been impressive to watch. As founders and board members of the company, we are proud to welcome her to this very special brand and excited to see how she will embrace and evolve the legacy and spirit of what we started.”

The Jamaica-born designer has steadily built a reputation as a favorite among New York’s fashion scene. In 2021, she launched her own label, Diotima, which is praised for its detailed crochet craftsmanship and innovative silhouettes. In 2023, she won Emerging Designer of the Year at the CFDA Fashion Awards, and was also a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund runner-up and a finalist for the LVMH Prize. The following year, Scott accepted the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award and the Frazier Family Foundation x CFDA Empowered Vision Award. 

Scott will reportedly still oversee Diotima, which is set to stage its first runway show at New York Fashion Week on Sept. 15. 

“As one of the most celebrated design talents of today, Rachel brings a fresh and female perspective to a brand built on the spirit of the modern American woman. Her profound understanding of Proenza Schouler’s brand codes, paired with her exceptional ability to marry craft with innovation, made her the natural choice to lead the brand forward,” said Shira Suveyke Snyder, CEO of Proenza Schouler.”

Scott joins the long list of new designer hires at major fashion houses, including Marni’s Meryll Rogge, Gucci’s Demna, Bottega Veneta’s Louise Trotter, Jil Sander’s Simone Belloti, Versace’s Dario Vitale and Jean Paul Gaultier’s Duran Lantink.

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