As fashion seasons go, Pre-Fall is definitely the one that feels most like a free-for-all. Some designers treat it as “high summer”—these clothes do ship around May—while others show fur. Some designers go high concept; others, deferring to the fact that Pre-Fall collections hang on racks a long time, see it as an opportunity to bang out sales-friendly staples. Yigal Azrouël did a little of all of the above. There was a hint of concept in his emphasis on Victoriana and foliage motifs—making Azrouël another in the growing list of designers for whom nature and nostalgia snap the same synapse—and there was some suggestion of summery-ness in his gossamer silks and laces. In general, though, he erred toward a cool-weather vibe, offering an inky palette and a formal sensibility, and he banged out staples.
Not that you’d mistake Azrouël’s staples for basics. He was trafficking in accessible silhouettes—unfussy tailoring, pretty dresses, new iterations of the leather bikers that serve as one of his house signatures. But everything was beautifully finished—in particular, the pleat-detailed poplins and romantic, lace-paneled blouses—and his luxe fabrications helped, as well, to elevate the tone. A burnout velvet in a Victoriana pattern was especially intriguing and put a graphic edge on that sometimes claustrophobic vintage aesthetic. No Miss Havishams here! Certainly, the woman wearing Azrouël’s fluid trousers and leather-trimmed bustier wouldn’t deign to sit around the house moping, training some promising young woman in the art of breaking men. She’d be out on the town, breaking them herself. That’s a spirit for all seasons.
