Yigal Azrouël RTW Fall 2010 / NYCFW Day-03

Yigal Azrouël clearly had men’s wear on his mind. Its influence was obvious in his women’s collection, shown alongside his men’s line on Friday. In the former, tailoring — suits, specifically — emerged as the key motif. “A woman who wears a suit has character,” said Azrouël backstage. “She knows what she wants. She’s tough.” Emphasis on tough, as Azrouël worked classic, tailored elements such as waistcoats and pleated trousers in an aggressive direction. Blazers had leather and fur sleeves, and pants were slim and structured, some with seaming details that translated well to patchwork sweaters and cocktail dresses, a few flaunting graphic crystal embroidery from Azrouël’s new Swarovski partnership. Such precision made for a strong evolution from the house’s recent slouchy streetwear mode, without losing its edge.

For men’s wear, Azrouël steered his men away from their beachy roots toward a dark and aggressive realm that called for lots of washed black leather, boiled tweed and sturdy mélange knits. The change was welcome, but these ruffians had no discernible relationship to the polished women who shared their runway. And while hitting a lot of important trends — Fair Isle, contrast sleeves, cowl neck outerwear, long johns — Azrouël lost some coherence in the bargain.























































© by WWD / Photos by Thomas Iannaccone