Rachel Scott, the Jamaican designer behind the acclaimed label Diotima, has been appointed Artistic Director of Proenza Schouler, marking a brand new chapter for one in every of New York’s most influential vogue homes. Her appointment brings contemporary perspective, cultural depth, and a global story at a second when management transitions are reshaping the panorama of American vogue.
From Kingston to New York Vogue
Scott was born and raised in Jamaica earlier than transferring to New York, the place she constructed her profession after learning and dealing in each Milan and New York. In 2021, she based Diotima, a womenswear label famous for its progressive use of Jamaican craft traditions resembling crochet, reinterpreted in trendy silhouettes.
In line with Diotima’s official web site, Rachel Scott’s design philosophy is deeply knowledgeable by each her mental and cultural roots. Educated in French existentialism and post-structuralist thought, she sees vogue as a language that displays tradition and creativity. Her 16-year profession in Milan and New York, starting at Costume Nationwide and later spanning a number of ranges of the design course of, gave her a powerful technical basis.
With Diotima, she attracts on Jamaican craft traditions, notably hand-crochet produced by artisans on the island, and integrates them with world textile influences resembling British tweeds, tropical wools and Italian basket weaves. Designed between Jamaica and New York, her collections are conceived as timeless, season-fluid items, embodying what the model describes as a dialogue between historical past, politics and aesthetics.
Inside only a few years, Diotima received worldwide recognition. Scott was a finalist for the LVMH Prize, named CFDA Rising Designer of the Yr in 2023, and went on to safe the CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Yr in 2024. Her work, embraced by celebrities, fashions and business insiders, has positioned Diotima firmly on the centre of up to date American model.
Why This Appointment Issues
The choice by Proenza Schouler comes at a time of main change for the model. Earlier this 12 months, founders Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez stepped away from their design roles to take up positions at Loewe, prompting hypothesis in regards to the label’s course.
In saying Scott’s appointment, Proenza Schouler’s chief government Shira Suveyke Snyder defined that the seek for a brand new chief was in depth. “It was actually a journey to determine precisely who was the fitting match for Proenza,” she advised Women’s Wear Daily (WWD). “Having that correct mix of somebody who’s going to deliver a novel viewpoint, but additionally would actually honour the codes and the legacy of what Jack and Lazaro began.”
Suveyke Snyder added that she first linked with Scott on the 2024 CFDA Awards, when each Proenza Schouler and Diotima have been nominated for American Womenswear Designer of the Yr. Scott was initially invited to seek the advice of on an upcoming assortment, however her affect shortly grew to become clear. “As I began to see her work I believed, ‘This may very well be a wedding made in heaven,’” Snyder advised WWD.
Balancing Craft and Innovation
Proenza Schouler has lengthy been recognised for clear traces and sharp tailoring, whereas Diotima is widely known for its textures and handcraft. Scott’s appointment suggests a fusion of those qualities: honouring the model’s refined id whereas introducing a brand new dimension rooted in cultural craft and innovation.
Suveyke Snyder described Scott because the “quintessential” designer to steer Proenza into its subsequent part, praising her means to “marry craft with innovation” and her robust understanding of the label’s luxe American codes and feminine viewers (WWD).
Scott will current her first full assortment as Artistic Director in February 2026 at New York Vogue week.
