A Man for All Seasons
max azria delivers the goods
While Max Azria, the man behind BCBG, may now be a fixture in the fashion world, the Tunisian-born designer started selling clothes from the trunk of his car in Los Angeles in the late 1980s. After 20 years of struggling with department stores, expanding the brand, and marketing his own name along with BCBG (Parisian slang for good style, good attitude), Azria’s clothing appeals to more than just fashionistas. His designs are universal, as his brands continue to grow and change faces from simply BCBG, a work-casual brand, to his more sophisticated couture lines, Max Azria and Herve Leger.
This year, he launched the Herve Leger line—his third— which features cocktail-ready, colorful dresses. It already has its own retail store on Madison Avenue, and the turnout and reviews for the show last week were stellar. It is a bold move for Azria, known more for his simple suits and monochromatic dresses. His other two brands showed at Fashion Week and were equally well-received.
To complement Azria’s directional change, his two critically acclaimed shows last year demonstrated a different, colorful, trendy direction for the typically traditional Azria. He and his wife and collaborator, Lubov, showed three times at Fashion Week this year, and the star-studded events once again highlighted the Azria’s changing brand. The Azria family is indeed cornering the fashion market—Azria’s brother, Serge, is behind Joie, begun in 2003, and already a big name in Barney’s, Saks, and Bloomingdale’s.
In addition, Max and Lubov are an incredibly approachable power couple who hold Shabbat dinners Friday nights at their Los Angeles home. While it may be Max’s name behind the clothes, Lubov is the inspiration. Here, she and Max tell the Eye about their demographics, their design, how Columbia women can afford their clothing, and why it is important to dress one’s age.
Why did you begin designing?
I began designing because I thought there was a need in the market for beautiful clothes of amazing quality for affordable prices.
Where does the design process start?
The design process always begins with an inspiration—whether it be a piece of art, or a film, or a period of time. Really, anything can spark an idea for a collection. From there we try a bunch of different things and see what works.
Do you believe that as a husband and wife team you have a better sense of what women would wear?
Definitely. We are always able to play ideas off of one another and reach a final product that is amazing and well thought out.
What is the best line you have ever put together?
Every line! We put everything we have into each garment, so its difficult to choose. Its like picking a favorite child – each one has different strengths, but at the end of the day we love them all.
How do you distinguish between the three collections?
BCBGMAXAZRIA is a little younger, while Max Azria is more mature, and takes a more artistic approach to dressing. Herve Leger is a line that is more body conscious, and features dresses for a woman who is confident and wants to look beautiful. The lines are all very different, but compliment each other well—they have the same impeccable construction and amazing attention to detail.
Your clothes tend to fit a woman’s body very well. How do you know?
The fit of a garment is the most important thing—if it doesn’t fit, no one will want to wear it. We want women to look and feel their best in our clothing, so we take the fit of every piece very seriously.
Last year’s Spring collection was very well received. How did you conceive of it and how was it different?
Every season we try to say something new. Spring was inspired by transparency and play on light and shadow, as well as sheer makeup shades. This season, we played with some of the same ideas, with a new color palate, and new silhouettes.
How can college students afford your clothes?
It is great to mix things when it comes to fashion. A great way to update your wardrobe is to invest in a few amazing pieces and mix them with less expensive or vintage items.
Who has been your best demographic and who is your future demographic?
My most prominent demographic is made up of women 20 and older, but I think that as teens and you-girls mature, they will become an important part of our customer base as well.
Are young people a part of that?
Young people have always been an important part of our business—they are the most adventurous when it comes to fashion and also the most likely to pick up on new trends and styles. Aside from being customers, young people are a huge source of inspiration.
What do you, as a contemporary designer, consider important for college students?
College is a really important time for self discovery—especially as it pertains fashion. Once you enter the workforce, you encounter rules and constraints, so if anything, college is the perfect time to have fun with clothes. My only advice is to never take fashion too seriously.
Which parts of your lines are of greatest appeal to Columbia students?
We have a lot of dresses that work well from day to evening, so they can take you from class to a night on the town with a simple change of accessories. Also, we have a lot of new takes on the suit that should serve students well as they move into job interviews and internships.