Hervé Léger by Max Azria Fall 2012 Ready-to-Wear Collection on Style.com: Runway Review

Hervé Léger by Max Azria

NEW YORK, February 11, 2012

By Meenal Mistry

With the bandage dress as a baseline, the question each season at Herve Leger is in which direction will Max and Lubov Azria spin their tale. To their credit, the Azrias manage to take something that could feel a bit like boiling an egg—a little softer one season, a little harder another—and nudge it forward onto new ground. This season's theme delved into the darker side of equestrienne motifs. These girls were more horse than rider, with leather harnesses fastened around shoulders and waists and even long, straight, blunt-cut ponytails swinging from side to side.

In fact, there was a strain of mythical woman-as-beast in the body-hugging outerwear—a developing non-frock category—of python-stamped black leather trimmed with swaths of wild black fur. What felt newest in the dresses were the patterns and prints—an op-arty ombre beat out an odd chain-link jacquard—as well as the pleating, which gave the usual shrink-wrapped silhouette a chic modicum of freedom. You could see the long-sleeve diamond-pattern dress with a flippy skirt in look four, for instance, attracting a whole new customer. That's the kind of uncharted territory any designer can get behind.

See all from Hervé Léger by Max Azria › Timeline

A.F. Vandevorst	A.L.C.	A.P.C.
Acne	A Détacher	Akris
Alberta Ferretti	Albino	Alexander McQueen
Alexander Wang	Alexandre Herchcovitch	Alexis Mabille
Alice + Olivia	Altuzarra	Andrew Gn
Anna Sui	Ann Demeulemeester	Anne Valérie Hash
Ann-Sofie Back Atelje	Anthony Vaccarello	Antonio Berardi
Antonio Marras	Aquascutum	Aquilano.Rimondi
Araks	Azzaro

Badgley Mischka	Balenciaga	Bally
Balmain	Banana Republic	Band of Outsiders
Barbara Bui	Barbara Casasola	Barbara Tfank
Basso & Brooke	BCBG Max Azria	Bebe
Behnaz Sarafpour	Belstaff	Betsey Johnson
Bibhu Mohapatra	Bill Blass	Billy Reid
BLK DNM	Blumarine	Bottega Veneta
Bouchra Jarrar	Brood	Burberry Prorsum

Cacharel	Calla	Calvin Klein Collection
Camilla and Marc	Carlos Miele	Carolina Herrera
Carven	Catherine Malandrino	Cédric Charlier
Celine	Central Saint Martins	Chado Ralph Rucci
Chadwick Bell	Chalayan	Chanel
Charlotte Ronson	Chloé	Chris Benz
Christian Cota	Christian Dior	Christian Siriano
Christophe Lemaire	Christopher Kane	Christopher Raeburn
Clements Ribeiro	Collette Dinnigan	Comme des Garçons
Commuun	Costello Tagliapietra	Costume National
Creatures of Comfort	Creatures of the Wind	Cushnie et Ochs
Custo Barcelona	Cynthia Rowley

Daks	Damir Doma	Danielle Scutt
Daryl K	David Koma	Dean Quinn
Dennis Basso	Derek Lam	Diane von Furstenberg
Diesel Black Gold	Dion Lee	Dirk Bikkembergs
DKNY	Dolce & Gabbana	Donna Karan
Doo.Ri	Douglas Hannant	Dries Van Noten
Dsquared²	Duro Olowu

Edun	Elie Saab	Elie Tahari
Elizabeth and James	Emilia Wickstead	Emilio de la Morena
Emilio Pucci	Emporio Armani	Erdem
Erin Fetherston	Etro