ANTONIO AZZUOLO | FALL / WINTER 2012

Tailoring suits is what Antonio Azzuolo does best. Being the son of a tailor, it must have been inevitable that he himself would be a born tailor, and an excellent one at that.

Azzuolo was headed for success when he graduated from Ryerson University in Toronto, leaving with a B.A.A in Apparel Design. After graduating, he moved to Milan where he won first place in the menswear category at the ‘Festival des Jeunes Stylists de Hyeres.’

This propelled him to begin his professional career, which to-date includes over ten years at Hermes and Kenzo, acting as design director for Ralph Lauren’s Black and Purple Labels and launching his namesake collection a.a. Staying true to his heritage and focused on what he does best, excellent tailored cut suits were at the heart of his collection this season, with strong emphasis on layering.

Fitted suit jackets and light knit sweaters were dressed over loose shorts and trousers, which showed an excellent alternative to the traditional suit that we all know. Like a true tailor, Azzuolo imitated basting stitches on the fronts of some jackets, which finished them off perfectly.

The catwalk also saw a Japanese inspired collection, with a succession of kimonos, with and without sleeves. Again these were dressed over loose shorts and under fitted jackets, (a clever substitute for the shirt it seems) amping up volume and layering always.

The overall collection saw an autumnal palette with shades such as deep- sea blues, dark and light browns, creams, burnt reds and yellows and greens. Dark shaded sunglasses and hats were worn with his suits, which only showed that Antonio Azzuolo knows how to cut an excellent jacket.

- Alexandria Hall