Take the Journey with Antonio Azzuolo

antonio azzuolo in addition with many others took part in Agentry PR & Cadillac’s NY Menswear Day for NYFW. The brand’s fall/winter 2014 is the reflection of a journey — “the journey from one decade to another, from the cities visited and lived in to people we meet that inspire our being & work.” The journey doesn’t stop there, it’s ongoing. It spans from childhood to adulthood to the beyond. This collection represents a moving tribute to this entire journey and homage to its, the journey, life’s many players.

You will probably notice one difference between this presentation and the other menswear presentations I’ve covered — there are both men & women in the show. That is because antonio azzuolo embraces duality & a unisex vibe, with a lent focus to both masculine & feminine silhouettes and styles. But the duality aspect is not just about gender roles, it’s also about the past & future, classic & cutting edge, modernism & traditionalism.

The styles and silhouettes are certainly a unique take from what I’ve seen with other collections, very refreshing! The collection “celebrates the hybrid of luxury tailoring & downtown cool…Savile Row meets the Lower East Side. The brand is known for exactly what this collection encapsulates — NY street style, but thru a refined lens. He explores a youthful archetype, with a goal of building the fundamentals of a man’s wardrobe.

I’ve said it already, but there is clearly something different, unique, and refreshing with this collection. Yes, it’s for the fall/winter 2014 season and it sets in with a darker color palette and vibe. But with that and if it was just that, the collection would be a DUD and this just isn’t. I like the takes on layering, the textures, and the occasional, but warranted pops of color.

Just a bit of background on a.a., Azzuolo attended Ryerson University in Toronto where he received a BAA in apparel design, specializing in men’s tailoring. He also won 1st place in the menswear category at the prestigious festival “Festival des Jeunes Stylistes de Hyeres.” Azzuolo has refined his skills by working with major brands such as Hermes and Ralph Lauren. He was also selected as a finalist for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund & nominated for the FGI Men’s Apparel rising star award. Recently he was nominated for the CFDA Swarovski Menswear award.

The brand has also experienced a large and great variety of press — Nylon, Details, Vogue Italia, WWD, Paper, Out, Interview, NY Times, Flaunt, GQ, and Esquire. And now, here are some of my fave pieces from this current collection: