Azzaro Haute Couture S/S 2022 Paris

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[LadyJunon]

The collection is quite good and decently constructed (despite almost being flashed by the girl in look 14), but it's obvious that Theyskens is kinda done with being a creative director and is just doing this to fund his eponymous label.

Can't blame him though...

 

[avonlea002]

I find these to be the highlight of an otherwise poor collection. I understand that this position serves more as a funding source but he shouldn't be that lazy.

 

[tricotineacetat]

Those laminated jersey turtlenecks and allover-sequinned suits honestly look like cheap carnival costumes and in particular on his male models. Honestly, I am not sure either him or the house itself know who they are making the menswear for, it feels very unconvinced.

That being said, he has delivered a few stunning looks on the women's side - Those tunique suits with the beaded necks are a great alternative to his signature gowns, of which there are a few - My favourites being the ones with billowing sleeves.

While this should be satisfying enough, the question remains if anyone at Azzaro has an idea where the whole operation is headed - The collection is still lacking visibility and the brand still did not bother to take down merchandise from Olivier's predecessors as well as all the liscensed goods that have nothing to do with either one of his collections. All of this reads as a house unwilling to make the necessary changes to complement the arrival of a new designer, so I hope he sees his tenure there as a means to keep his own line afloat.

 

[jeanclaude]

His last RTW collection looks more haute couture than this...it seems he spent all the time in his own atelier, making those beautiful patchwork dresses; and yesterday he visited Azzaro´s atelier to just say "hi" to the staff!

 

[Phuel]

Those laminated jersey turtlenecks and allover-sequinned suits honestly look like cheap carnival costumes and in particular on his male models. Honestly, I am not sure either him or the house itself know who they are making the menswear for, it feels very unconvinced.

That being said, he has delivered a few stunning looks on the women's side - Those tunique suits with the beaded necks are a great alternative to his signature gowns, of which there are a few - My favourites being the ones with billowing sleeves.

While this should be satisfying enough, the question remains if anyone at Azzaro has an idea where the whole operation is headed - The collection is still lacking visibility and the brand still did not bother to take down merchandise from Olivier's predecessors as well as all the liscensed goods that have nothing to do with either one of his collections. All of this reads as a house unwilling to make the necessary changes to complement the arrival of a new designer, so I hope he sees his tenure there as a means to keep his own line afloat.

I get the impression the male cast and the menswear is more of an economical, strategic move— both to optimize client/clientele potential, and to stand out as the (only…?) couturier whose offering services for both women/men. The menswear are clearly suited for women, as his own label has shown women in men’s suiting. This dominant proposal has to be a practical one. He’s always been confident in his direction— I can’t imagine he nor the label to be so directionless, and floundering in pushing so many suits unless there is a high demand for them from their clientele.

But more cheap-looking than the sequin suits, the most ugliest of element here are those mountain boots on the men. Sheesh. (The mountain boots with the setting looks utterly depressing. Just looks more like somewhere in the American midwest on a cold, overcast November day, in someone’s backyard than in Paris. A white seamless, a white hall would have done wonders in this case.)

 

[dior_couture1245]

It’s really dreary.

I honestly thought his first two Couture collections for the house were quite lovely and stylish and glamorous - a good mix of his aesthetic and the houses’.

And while last season grew on me a bit, this is really poor and sad looking.

I don’t see any of the thoughtfulness I normally associate with Olivier’s work. Even when he’s done commercial designs, there’s usually been a clever idea, an interesting detail, a beautiful gesture…

None of that is here, unfortunately. I get that this is likely a venture for him to get some cash flow into his own line, but why waste the opportunity? Azzaro obviously doesn’t have a spectacular archive, but there’s always a way to make a gorgeous, luxurious, sensual gown.

 

[tricotineacetat]

I get the impression the male cast and the menswear is more of an economical, strategic move— both to optimize client/clientele potential, and to stand out as the (only…?) couturier whose offering services for both women/men. The menswear are clearly suited for women, as his own label has shown women in men’s suiting. This dominant proposal has to be a practical one. He’s always been confident in his direction— I can’t imagine he nor the label to be so directionless, and floundering in pushing so many suits unless there is a high demand for them from their clientele.

But more cheap-looking than the sequin suits, the most ugliest of element here are those mountain boots on the men. Sheesh. (The mountain boots with the setting looks utterly depressing. Just looks more like somewhere in the American midwest on a cold, overcast November day, in someone’s backyard than in Paris. A white seamless, a white hall would have done wonders in this case.)

What's missing to me is a clear strategy as to where anybody's looking to take this brand under Olivier's reign - These biannual shows don't quite cut that for me, not if the range of his offering remains limited to glitz-y eveningwear and if the men's remains basically the same look repeated in a variety of embellishments. I have yet to see what his collections looks like despite from what you can see on the runway but even the website doesn't provide a clear answer to that!

I would describe Azzaro's position in fashion history similar to Paco Rabanne's as one with a rather niche point of view. Despite his awful recent collection, look at how far Julien Dossena pushed the Paco Rabanne DNA further away from chainmail dresses and to what success! Olivier said in the briefing for this show he was interested in a retro-futurist aesthetic, maybe it would be a good idea then to further on those tunic ensembles and provide a few looks on that theme in a more daywear kind of way?

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Yours is a fair expectation. Especially from Olivier, who’s so much more capable than this.

Frankly, I’m glad to see this pragmatic side of him. HIs highly, darkly romantic debut pegged him as another hot house delicate flower that’s rather the opposite of how strong of a versatile, reliant survivor he’s proven to be: From the accessible Theory that’s still possessed of an edge, to this Azzaro lead with its more Studio 54 glitz/glam that’s world’s away from his signature romantic gothy waifs. And these are all the reasons why I like his Azzaro: He seems to knows— and respect, his clientele.

If I had the means/funds, I would absolultey support his Azzaro. To have him construct a few suits to my specifications, would be a dream.

 

[Lola701]

Let’s be honest, this is mediocre. But we love Olivier and we live with the memory of his glorious past….
If this was done by someone else, we would have paid dust.

This is terrible. His appearance on the runway during menswear week was more exciting than this…