INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER Yigal Azrouël has snagged the Saturday-night runway finale at Charleston Fashion Week, a slot that goes to the annual event’s featured designer. The show is considered one of the premier fashion weeks in North America.
The 2018 event begins Tuesday and concludes Saturday (March 13-17). It features a runway-show competition from 12 emerging designer semifinalists along with retailer and local designer shows.
The emerging-artists’ lineup includes Atlanta designers Kenya Freeman, Tina Gancev and Patresea Peppers. Freeman, you may recall, finished fifth in the most recent season of “Project Runway.” Also competing is Kelly Callaway, a 12-year-old from Scottsdale, Ariz., and the competition’s youngest designer ever. The winner receives $10,000 cash, a $10,000 marketing package, and mentorship from L2 Apparel and Lilia P. The others semifinalists:
- Tygerian Burke, Charlotte, N.C.
- Sharae Hines, Charlotte, N.C.
- Heather Rose Johnson, Charleston, S.C.
- Tierra Macon, Los Angeles
- Joan Madison, Columbus, Ohio
- Kimberly Millar, Charlotte, N.C.
- Emilie Schroeder, Brooklyn
- Patrick Tai & Terrence Henderson, Charlotte, N.C.
Azrouël, an Israeli-American based in New York, designs ready-to-wear fashion for women that can be described as innovative with details. His spring/summer 2018 collection, for example, largely features dresses and jumpsuits in black, white and olive. Hard edges are softened by cutouts and frayed silk ribbons. His fluid trench coats can double as dresses.
Azrouël told Vogue magazine that he was thinking of the contrast between organic and architectural shapes, loosely inspired by Richard Serra’s large-scale outdoor sculptures. This makes his city-centric styles more relaxed. The midi dresses and two-piece cocktail ensembles come in a playful jacquard, with tropical flowers, trees and monkeys. His tees, tops, pants, jumpsuits and dresses begin at $290 and can cost as much as $1,590. His work has been seen in Vogue and Women’s Wear Daily magazines.
Azrouël is part of the panel judging the emerging-designer competition. Other panelists include Pauline Sokol Nakios, owner of Lilla P; Charleston fashion favorite Andrea Serrano; and Courtney Wartman, senior vice president of marketing at Who What Wear.
