That relaxed approach—informed, no doubt, by a lack of self-consciousness about his pedigree—lends Azrouël’s clothes their distinct aesthetic. “What sets Yigal apart from other designers is that he stays true to his roots,” says Jennifer Wheeler, vice president of women’s designer apparel at Nordstrom, who adds that the store’s Southern customers, in particular, are Azrouël fans. “He knows what works for his collection and his customers, and he builds on that each season.”
About three years ago, Azrouël director Donata Minelli Yirmiyahu says, the designer became frustrated with his first fabric crush. “Jersey was getting monotonous,” Yirmiyahu explains. “We said, ‘Yigal, you own this business, do what you love.’” Out came filmy knits and jaunty cropped trousers, true sportswear that buyers and critics alike lauded for its layered, laid-back vibe. There were, of course, a few of those liquid jersey columns tossed in—who was Azrouël to mess with a tried-and-true technique?—yet the unpolished cool of the collection renewed his confidence. “I realized that you can keep experimenting, keep challenging and be successful,” says Azrouël. “But I have a very naive way of looking at things.”
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