Born in Montreal to an Italian family, Antonio Azzuolo attended Ryerson University in Toronto where he received a BAA in apparel design, specializing in men's tailoring.
After graduation, Azzuolo won first place in the menswear category at the prestigious “Festival des Jeunes Stylistes de Hyères”. For the next ten years, he cultivated his proficiency for design by working at Hermès, Kenzo and Galeries Lafayette in Paris. There, he refined his design aesthetic and skills in artisanal and sartorial craftsmanship. Items from his collections in Paris were selected by the Musée de la Mode et du Textile, Palais du Louvre, to be a part of the permanent collection.
In 2006, Azzuolo joined Ralph Lauren as design director for Purple Label and Black label before launching his custom and hand-tailored collection in 2008. a.a. antonio azzuolo is a designer label based in New York City. The brand is a hybrid of luxury tailoring and downtown cool bridging the gap between traditional and contemporary men’s fashion.
The a.a. antonio azzuolo aesthetic lends focus to New York street style, which Azzuolo translates through a refined lens. He incorporates the craft and luxury he learned in Europe with an unexpected whimsy and sophisticated naiveté. With every collection he explores youth archetype while expanding on his concept of building the fundamentals of a man’s and woman’s wardrobe. The result is a collection, Continental in flavor with a poetic and contemplative edge.
In 2011, Antonio was selected as a finalist for the CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund and nominated for The FGI Men’s Apparel rising star award. In 2012, he was nominated for The CFDA Swarovski Menswear Designer of The Year Award. In 2014, Antonio was a U.S. nominee for the International Woolmark Prize in the Menswear category. This year also marked the debut of his women’s collection.