BCBG Max Azria
Max Azria | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 January 1949 Sfax, Tunisia |
| Died | 6 May 2019 (aged 70) |
| Occupation(s) | Apparel designer, CEO |
| Years active | 1981–2019 |
| Known for | Founder of BCBG Max Azria Group, designer of Hervé Léger |
Template:Use mdy datesTemplate:Engvar
Template:Infobox fashion designer
Max Azria (January 1, 1949 – May 6, 2019) was a French-American apparel designer who established the modern women's fashion label BCBG MAX AZRIA. He served as the designer, chairman, and CEO of the BCBG Max Azria Group,[1] a worldwide fashion enterprise comprising more than 20 brands.[2] Azria departed from BCBG in 2016. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2017 and was subsequently acquired by Marquee Brands and Global Brands Group.
Following this, Azria took on the role of CEO at ZappLight.[3][4]
Early life and education
Born in Sfax, Tunisia,[5] Max Azria was the youngest among six siblings in a family with both Sephardi Jewish and Mizrahi Jewish (Tunisian-Jewish) heritage. During his childhood, he received his education in southeastern France before his family relocated to Paris in 1963.Template:Fix/category[citation needed] His brother, Serge Azria,[6] is the founder of women's apparel brands Joie, Current/Elliott, and Equipment, which operates out of Los Angeles.[7]
Career
Following an 11-year tenure designing women's fashion lines in Paris, Azria relocated to Los Angeles in 1981 and introduced Jess, a collection of innovative retail boutiques specializing in women's apparel.
In 1989, Azria established BCBG Max Azria, a brand named after the French expression "bon chic, bon genre," a Parisian colloquialism signifying "good style, good attitude." He earned recognition for making designer fashion accessible at reasonable prices and was inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 1998. The BCBG Max Azria Runway collection made its debut at New York Fashion Week in 1996.
Azria developed two signature designer lines: Max Azria Atelier and Max Azria. Introduced in February 2004, Max Azria Atelier is a couture gown collection tailored for celebrities and red carpet occasions. Prominent figures such as Sharon Stone, Halle Berry, Fergie, and Alicia Keys have donned this label on major events. In February 2006, he unveiled Max Azria, a ready-to-wear line characterized by a forward-thinking aesthetic, during New York Fashion Week. During the 2009 awards season, Angelina Jolie wore Max Azria at both the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Critics Choice Awards. In 2006, the company acquired G+G Retail—including the G+G and Rave brands—following their bankruptcy.
In 1998, Azria purchased the Hervé Léger fashion house, marking a historic moment as the first American designer to acquire a French couture brand. He relaunched Hervé Léger in early 2007 with his own designs, which quickly gained popularity among celebrities and fashion influencers worldwide. At New York Fashion Week in fall 2008, Max Azria showcased BCBG Max Azria Runway, Max Azria, and Hervé Léger by Max Azria collections—making him the first American designer to present three major shows during a single New York Fashion Week.
In 2008, Azria introduced BCBGeneration, a youthful contemporary line. By June 2009, he collaborated with Miley Cyrus to create Miley Cyrus & Max Azria for Walmart. Additionally, he designed outfits for Cyrus’ 2009 American tour. Azria departed from BCBG in 2016 amid company struggles; BCBG Max Azria filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and was subsequently acquired by Marquee Brands and Global Brands Group that same year.
On May 31, 2017, ZappLight announced that Max Azria had joined the company and its parent firm Clean Concept LLC as CEO and partner. Azria stated that although fashion and technology are distinct fields, they increasingly overlap through their shared focus on innovative design that inspires consumers. Expressing enthusiasm for this new venture, he aimed to expand ZappLight into a global household brand designed to deter virus-carrying insects. Demonstrating his entrepreneurial spirit at age 68, Azria chose to engage with a startup rather than retire. ZappLight offers a "2-in-1" LED light bulb combined with bug-zapping technology—a modern reinvention of the traditional bug zapper industry dating back to the 1980s. This product functions both as a light source attracting insects and as an insect eliminator within a single bulb that fits into standard outdoor light fixtures.
BCBG Max Azria Group operates as an international fashion conglomerate encompassing over twenty brands. Max Azria served as CEO, chairman, and lead designer while his widow, Lubov Azria, fulfilled the role of chief creative officer.
As of 2006, BCBG Max Azria maintained more than 550 boutiques worldwide with locations spanning London, Paris, Tokyo; Santiago, Chile; and Hong Kong. Their collections were also distributed through specialty retailers and major department stores globally including Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Dillard's; as well as Harvey Nichols in the UK; Lane Crawford in Hong Kong; Mitsukoshi in Taiwan; and Takashimaya in Singapore.
Advertising campaigns for BCBG Max Azria Group frequently feature renowned models such as Eva Herzigova, Karen Elson, and Jessica Stam. The brand collaborates regularly with esteemed photographers including Patrick Demarchelier, Paolo Roversi, and David Sims. Its apparel is prominently showcased in leading fashion publications like Vogue, InStyle, and Vanity Fair alongside digital platforms such as Style.com and iFashion Network.
Recent developments
On February 28, 2017, BCBG Max Azria Group initiated proceedings under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. By July of the same year, it was announced that Marquee Brands and Global Brands Group acquired the company's intellectual property rights along with its associated assets, taking control of the brand and its affiliated labels.
Personal life
Azria experienced two marriages during his lifetime. His first marriage ended in divorce, and from this union he had three children: Michael John Azria (born 1974), Joyce Azria Nassir (born 1981), and Marine Azria (born 1984). His second wife was Lubov Azria, who served as the chief creative officer for BCBG Max Azria Group. Lubov's origins trace back to Ukraine. Together, Max and Lubov raised three children: Chloe (born 1993), Nushi (born 1996), and Agnes (born 1997). In 2009, his daughter Joyce Azria took on the role of creative director at BCBGeneration. The family resided in a residence located in Holmby Hills, a Los Angeles neighborhood, within a home designed by architect Paul Williams. This property was previously owned by the late writer Sidney Sheldon.
Death
Azria passed away at age 70 on May 6, 2019, succumbing to lung cancer while hospitalized in Houston.
See also
References
- ↑ Mustafa, Nadia (Fall 2006). "Bon Business", Time Style & Design, 81.
- ↑ Edelson, Sharon (June 3, 2009). "Miley Cyrus, Max Azria Sign Deal To Launch Line", Women's Wear Daily, 12.
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ↑ Mustafa, Nadia (Fall 2006). "Bon Business", Time Style & Design, 82.
- ↑ Elle Magazine: "Sole Mate - Florence Azria's Louboutin and Manolo addictions benefit charity" July 31, 2008
- ↑ Los Angeles Times: "Clothier Serge Azria expands operations at Vernon headquarters" By Roger Vincent March 21, 2014