Yigal Azrouël likes things just so, but definitely not prim. In fact, he is a perfectionist when it comes to making his clothes “not too perfect.” “I want them to look like they have experience,” he said during a studio visit this week. “Like [they] got kind of damaged. I think it makes [them] look cooler.” To wit, his spring collection was full of the rumpled, nonchalant clothes — leather jackets, silk cocktail dresses and slouchy pants — in a dusty palette and washed fabrics for the worn-in look his clientele craves. Here, batik prints and sarong skirts worked the bohemian side of Azrouël’s downtown ethos. As always, his signature jerseys will have broad appeal, but there were some awkward moments in drab sack dresses and tricky high-waisted pants. While that might tickle the extremely hip, it will likely leave those who don’t get it feeling hopelessly uncool.
