Yigal Azrouel was recently quoted as saying the following when discussing his incorporation of Swarovski crystals into his Fall 2010 collection — “It was important for me to think about designing something totally different with Swarovski. The idea of applying a delicate and pristine Swarovski crystal to a rough, distressed leather jacket or a gauzy, draped t-shirt is counter-intuitive, and made the collaborative process that much more interesting.”
A number of designers opted to incorporate crystals into their collection this season (Halston, Alexander Wang, Peter Som…), making the glitzy adornment one of the biggest F/W 2010 runway trends. Azrouel used them in the three key looks pictured above. First on an anthracite cracked suede jacket (worn over jet raw drape long sleeve tee and ink viscose silk pinstripe Toughened trouser), then on a Chestnut/Melange suede trim top (paired with anthracite cracked suede Toughened trouser), and lastly on an Ink quilt shoulder silk crepe dress). You can achieve a similar effect in a DIY fashion by heading to one of Swarovski’s Crystallized Elements boutiques. They recently opened a fab one in Soho in NYC (if you go, you must schedule time to grab a bite/coffee in their cafe located in the back and lower level of the boutique. Not only is the food good, but how can you resist dining on a chair completely covered in crystals?!). The boutiques themselves sell an endless assortment of crystals which you can buy individually to customize anything you want — perfect for a frugal take on the runway looks!
