Jennifer

(NEW YORK) Yigal Azrouël has partnered with K-Swiss to create a capsule collection of men's sneakers for spring. The styles, which combine details of the company's trademark tennis sneakers and the designer's refined and sporty edginess, will debut on the runway at Azrouël's fashion show, which will take place on September 5 at Peter White Studios in Chelsea and feature both his men's and women's ready to wear collections. The union of the brands is a first of this type of collaboration for both parties, and transcends most contemporary notions about sportswear; the sneakers reflect Azrouël's understanding of materials and playful attitude towards design. "The K-Swiss aesthetic perfectly matches my own menswear sensibility," said Azrouël, who launched his eponymous women's collection in 1998 and added men's in February. "The K-Swiss legacy is one of elegance and simplicity, and we pay homage to those ideas with our collaboration."

Inspired by his own active lifestyle, in particular his love of surfing and sports in general, all five shoe styles, based off of classic K-Swiss forms, feature gum soles with uppers in black and white ginghams, raw cotton canvases, and bone suedes that pair well with a range of Azrouël's looks, from denim to suiting. Jennifer Weiderman, vice president of marketing for K-Swiss, said, "Fall 2007 marks an important time for K-Swiss as we are working with a number of elite athletes to showcase our new product collections. A partnership with Azrouël further solidifies the beautiful sport message, and allows us to enter into the realm of premium fashion with a highly respected designer."

In addition to the runway styles, Azrouël will collaborate with product designer Dror Benshetrit to create an installation in his Meatpacking District boutique for Fashion Week, inspired by the Los Angeles-based firm's Swiss tradition. The installation will also coincide with the 2007 U.S. Open. - fashionweekdaily

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