Max Azria

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Every billion-dollar fashion empire warrants a designer collection, and that's precisely the idea behind Max Azria, the eponymous label that BCBG Max Azria's founder established in 2006.

Co-designed by Azria and his wife and creative director, Lubov Azria, the line has developed a following among Hollywood and the social set for its flirty and polished party dresses. Thanks to the years the couple has spent designing youthful, fashion-forward looks for the contemporary label BCBG Max Azria, evening dressing, be it for a gala or a movie premiere, is an area in which the Azrias boast some serious expertise. The prevailing aesthetic at Max Azria is feminine and playful, with a touch of the eclectic. Innerwear as outerwear is also a common refrain. A corset may cinch a sweater dress edged in taffeta, or a garter may peek out through a silk gauze trench. Max Azria fans range from Sarah Michelle Gellar and Nicole Richie to Ivana Trump.

Serving simultaneously as designer, chairman, and CEO of his company, Azria has built BCBG Max Azria into a fashion powerhouse in a relatively short time. In 1989, eight years after moving to California from his native Paris, the designer founded BCBG Max Azria, named for the French phrase "bon chic, bon genre": good style, good attitude. Today, he counts nearly two dozen brands in his portfolio, including Max Azria Atelier, BCBGeneration, and Hervé Léger by Max Azria. BCBG Max Azria alone boasts more than 475 freestanding boutiques throughout the world, several of which sell the Max Azria collection.

FASHION SHOWS (7)