Yigal Azrouël’s Cleaned Up Cool

If the spelling and grammatical errors in Yigal Azrouël’s press materials were an indicator of a collection that has not been completely thought out, there were enough innovations, and engaging pieces, to let this failing slide.

The Israeli-born Azrouël, whose toying with vintage in the late nineties led him to a women’s line in 2003, followed by his first men’s collection in 2007, is known for his well-worn, salvaged, and distressed looking garments. And while he hasn’t moved too far from his base with Spring/Summer 2011, he’s playing with a cleaner look.

None of the sleeveless jackets I had seen this year made much of an impression on me (same goes for the tunics, ugh), but Azrouël’s green sleeveless trench had the right balance of military and modernity, and gave me pause. His take on the short-sleeved chambray, using separate materials for the sleeves as the body, was a miss, as were his oddly zippered sheepskin vest and his dropstitch crewneck sweater. But his woven, white, roomy tees were appealing, as were his gingham apron pocket shorts (ending mid-thigh), their jersey knit counterparts, and my personal favorite, a boy’s romper, which he called a “jumpsuit” but was short sleeved and cut off at the knees (more on that later).

His collarless motorcycle jacket, a highlight, is dead sexy.

These are clothes for a relaxed, but very confident downtown kind of guy. Maybe an actor. Maybe a graffiti writer. Maybe a carpenter. He’s someone who knows where the good bars are, but his rooftop is where you really want to hang out.

**All photos by Monica Feudi from GQ.com