Cheryl Shops

While my dream job is that of a fashion critic, I'm glad that I have this outlet, as opposed to a traditional medium like a newspaper. Ideally, a critic should have no bias, but even Cathy Horyn of the New York Times has favorites, which she alluded to in this article—which ended up being so controversial, Women's Wear Daily wrote a story on designers' reactions to it. I, on the other hand, have the freedom to fawn over whomever I want, whenever I want—ah, the luxury of having your own blog!

Which brings me to one of my favorite designers, Yigal Azrouel. I am a huge fan of his, owning several pieces that I've collected over the years (his twice-yearly sample sales unearth some great finds), and whenever I get an invite to one of his shows, my heart skips a little. Typically known for his sexy draped dresses and snug leather jackets, last season Azrouel made an about-face in favor of a more sophisticated tailored look that I loved just as well. For spring, he picked up where he left off, with a very clean, minimal yet impactful collection that married streamlined shapes with super-saturated colors. He played with more volume this season, with fall's skinny colored pants giving way to wide-legged cuts in leather and double-faced cotton. And speaking of leather, there was a gorgeous buttery trench coat that I could live in (and anticipating its price tag, I'd likely have to). But lest you think Azrouel has gone too polished and uptown, he reminded you of his downtown roots (his store is on 14th Street in the Meatpacking District, after all) with super-sexy, up-to-there thigh slits. Azrouel's client might have grown up, but she still knows how to have a good time.


For Azrouel fans who aren't quite ready to give up the sexy jersey and leather, there's Cut25, which is his fairly new secondary line. The past few seasons, Cut25 has been a more distilled version of Azrouel's signature line, but for spring, he took an entirely different direction—it was all about color, like the main line, but with a sporty surfer influence and a more casual vibe. The silhouette was still pure, with clean, simple shapes, but it felt much younger, with techno fabrics, sheer layers, and cutouts. It was one of the happiest collections I'd seen thus far (and even in a pretty colorful, optimistic season)—on a surface level, and because it shows while Azrouel's signature line has grown up, he still remains young at heart.

Just weeks ago I reported Uniqlo was collaborating with Velvet, and now, as of this morning, that collection has hit the store. Racked reports that everything is very soft and under $20, and that there are still a ton of pieces in stock. It may not be reinventing the wheel, but I'll take a nice pair of jersey harem pants or a cute tank dress any day.

On a slightly more exciting note, Fashionista has pictures from the upcoming Mark Fast for Topshop collection, which lands in stores next Friday, June 25. Prices should be in the $!00-$200 range (unless Topshop decides to jack up the exchange rate), and, um, I will take one of these, please. (Side note: Fashionista has vastly improved after hiring the knowledgeable Lauren Sherman as its editor. If you had given up on it, I suggest giving it another try.)


Not quite masstige but definitely on the more affordable side come two items of good news. One is that Viva Vena, Vena Cava's lower-priced line, has released a lookbook, and Elle has it. Everything will reportedly retail for under $200, and the line is due in stores this fall. In even better news, one of my favorite designers, Yigal Azrouel, is repositioning his Y Yigal line as Cut 25 [subscription required], a broader contemporary collection with more separates and more of a cooler, downtown-girl aesthetic. The line should retail for about a third the cost of Azrouel's main collection, and it will debut exclusively at Saks, Bergdorf Goodman, and Intermix in July.