Max Azria
Max Azria | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 January 1949 Sfax, Tunisia |
| Died | 6 May 2019 (aged 70) |
| Occupation(s) | Fashion designer, entrepreneur |
| Known for | Founder of BCBG Max Azria Group, designer of Hervé Léger collections |
Max Azria (January 1, 1949 – May 6, 2019) was a French-American fashion visionary who established the contemporary women's apparel brand BCBG MAX AZRIA. He held the roles of designer, chairman, and CEO within the BCBG Max Azria Group, a worldwide fashion enterprise encompassing more than 20 labels. Azria departed from BCBG in 2016; the company subsequently entered bankruptcy proceedings in 2017 and was later acquired by Marquee Brands and Global Brands Group.
Following this, Azria took on the position of CEO at ZappLight, a technology startup dedicated to pioneering lighting innovations.
Early life and education
Max Azria was born in Sfax, Tunisia, as the youngest sibling among six children in a family of Sephardi and Mizrahi Jewish heritage. He received his education in southeastern France before relocating with his family to Paris in 1963. His brother, Serge Azria, is also a distinguished entrepreneur, having founded Los Angeles-based women’s fashion brands Joie, Current/Elliott, and Equipment.
Career
After spending eleven years designing women’s clothing in Paris, Azria relocated to Los Angeles in 1981 where he launched Jess, a boutique introducing a fresh retail concept for women’s fashion.
In 1989, he created BCBG Max Azria, named after the French expression "bon chic, bon genre," which translates to "good style, good attitude." He gained recognition for making designer apparel accessible at reasonable prices and was inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in 1998. The debut of the BCBG Max Azria Runway collection took place at New York Fashion Week in 1996.
Azria developed two signature lines: Max Azria Atelier and Max Azria. Introduced in 2004, Max Azria Atelier specialized in couture gowns worn by celebrities such as Sharon Stone, Halle Berry, Fergie, and Alicia Keys. In 2006, he launched Max Azria, a ready-to-wear collection featuring a progressive style showcased at New York Fashion Week. During the 2009 awards season, Angelina Jolie donned Max Azria designs at high-profile events. That year also saw the company acquire G+G Retail brands following their bankruptcy.
In 1998, Azria purchased the Hervé Léger fashion house—becoming the first American designer to acquire a French couture label—and revitalized it with his own collections that gained international celebrity appeal. At New York Fashion Week in fall 2008, he presented three collections—BCBG Max Azria Runway, Max Azria, and Hervé Léger by Max Azria—marking the first instance of an American designer staging three major shows during one event.
The BCBGeneration line targeting younger consumers was launched by Azria in 2008. In June 2009, he collaborated with Miley Cyrus to design the Miley Cyrus & Max Azria collection for Walmart and created wardrobe pieces for her American tour. After leaving BCBG amid company challenges in 2016, BCBG Max Azria filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and was sold to Marquee Brands and Global Brands Group.
On May 31, 2017, Azria joined ZappLight and its parent firm Clean Concept LLC as CEO and partner. ZappLight offers an innovative "2-in-1" LED bulb combined with insect control technology that disrupts conventional lighting markets by integrating illumination with bug zapping capabilities. Azria highlighted how fashion and technology intersect to drive creative innovation.
The BCBG Max Azria Group operated globally with over twenty distinct brands under its umbrella. Max Azria served as CEO, chairman, and chief designer; his widow Lubov Azria held the role of chief creative officer.
By 2006, BCBG Max Azria had expanded to more than 550 stores worldwide across cities including London, Paris, Tokyo, Santiago, and Hong Kong. Its lines were retailed through specialty boutiques as well as leading department stores such as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdale's, Macy's; UK’s Harvey Nichols; Hong Kong’s Lane Crawford; Taiwan’s Mitsukoshi; and Singapore’s Takashimaya.
Advertising campaigns from the company frequently featured top models like Eva Herzigova, Karen Elson, and Jessica Stam while collaborating with esteemed photographers including Patrick Demarchelier, Paolo Roversi, and David Sims. Apparel from BCBG Max Azria regularly appeared in prominent fashion magazines such as Vogue, InStyle, Vanity Fair, along with digital outlets like Style.com and iFashion Network.
Recent developments
On February 28, 2017, BCBG Max Azria Group sought protection under Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Subsequently, in July 2017, Marquee Brands along with Global Brands Group acquired the brand and its affiliated labels by purchasing the company's intellectual property and related assets.
Personal background
Azria experienced two marriages throughout his life. From his first marriage, he had three children: Michael John Azria (born 1974), Joyce Azria Nassir (born 1981), and Marine Azria (born 1984). His second marriage was to Lubov Azria, originally from Ukraine, who served as the chief creative officer at BCBG Max Azria Group. Together, they had three children: Chloe (born 1993), Nushi (born 1996), and Agnes (born 1997). In 2009, Joyce Azria took on the role of creative director for BCBGeneration. The family lived in a Holmby Hills, Los Angeles residence designed by Paul Williams, previously owned by author Sidney Sheldon.
Passing
Azria passed away at age 70 on May 6, 2019, in a Houston hospital due to lung cancer.