Azrouel Ascending

Azrouel Ascending: A Hot Designer Gets Hotter

By Karin Nelson

Fashion Wire Daily NY June 11, 2002 - For most people, the name Yigal Azrouel entered their fashion consciousness in 1999 when strappy backless tops were all the rage and his draped, matte jersey numbers were the sexiest ones around. In fact, to say the 29 year-old Israeli designer was largely responsible for the fleeting trend wouldn't be inaccurate.

However, bring up those days from the past to Azrouel -- who launched his line in 1997 - and he'll laugh politely, blush a little, do everything but wince, in order to move the topic of conversation to his designs today.

"The collection is much more sophisticated than it used to be," he states simply, eyeing a rack of tailored fall designs in his expansive showroom-cum-production space (Calvin Klein's old office) in Manhattan's garment district. "When I first started, I had to be commercial in order to support myself. I couldn't afford expensive fabrics. Today I'm using everything."

A self-taught designer with a unique method of draping ("I drape the fabric on the form and tell it to speak to me," he muses), Azrouel still creates clothes with a fluid contour, but they've taken a decidedly detailed and tailored turn. For fall there are silk chiffon blouses with tied flowing sleeves, Swiss cotton shirts pin-tucked to create a bustier-like affect, long, lush wool/silk jacquard coats that hug the body, and crisp, wide-legged pantsuits in Italian men's suiting, with the vests cleverly attached to the jackets.

He pulls open a coat and explains the meticulous seam work. He tells how no garment gets shipped without him fully inspecting the quality - one of the reasons he has most of the pieces produced in-house. His director of PR, Donata Minelli, pipes in with a story of a tailor at Ultimo in Chicago, who called his customer in to inspect the fine construction of an Azrouel jacket she was having tailored.

"My clothing is for very glamorous, very feminine women," states the designer, dressed in deconstructed pinstripe pants and white Converse high-tops. Women like Sarah Jessica Parker, Cate Blanchett, and Halle Berry regularly wear his designs.

Spread out on Azrouel's conference table are images of his new ad campaign, which were shot by hot new photographer Greg Kadel and feature model-of-the moment Maria Carla Boscone looking very long-legged in a white pantsuit. They are running in magazines like Visionaire, I-D, and Paris Vogue. By the end of the year, Azrouel intends to open a freestanding boutique in Manhattan, as well as to launch an accessory division of shoes and bags. And at some point, he wants to present a more high-end line in Paris, to accompany his seasonal 7th on Sixth shows in New York.

Suffice to say, the man's made massive strides from his backless, matte jersey days.

"I know," says Minelli, with a big smile. "Editors come in the showroom and freak out. They're like, 'I had absolutely no idea you were doing all this!"