BCBGMAXAZRIA is always one of the most buzzed about shows, and not only because season after season it’s part of the crop of influential brands that kick of the first official day of New York Fashion Week; BCBG designers Max and Lubov Azria can always be counted on to deliver a lively atmosphere in a room packed with celebrities – this season brought out, among others, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Taraji P. Henson, Maggie Rizer, Kelly Rowland, Garcelle Beauvais, Katrina Bowden, and Ashanti. And for many like myself, the fact that the runway pieces have design value while being on the contemporary side of fashion price points, make the brand’s shows all the more engaging.
This season, BCBG must have felt the effect of the frigid New York City weather, as many of the runway looks were long and layered, with turtlenecks in contrasting colors worn under a number of looks, including some of the floor sweeping dresses. Lightweight fabrics combined with demure slits and flouncy skirt and dress silhouettes made for a number of feminine, effortless looks.
Monochromatic neutrals were mixed in with prints and vibrant pops of color, most notably red, which made for an especially beautiful contrast when lining a black sleeveless coat, for example, or in color-blocked style between two black fabric layers on one of the long dresses. Fittingly, one of the songs that played as the models strutted down the runway included the lyric, “I’ll paint you black, I’ll paint you blue, 16 shades of different color hues.” That said, while the palette may have been varied, it was crisp and controlled.
The accessories are always a stand-out at BCBG, and this season proved no exception with cross-body bags, structured clutches, and sleek below-the-knee boots in black and brown, proving the perfect complement to the easy-to-wear fashions that made their way down the runway. Further, if we’re to take BCBG as any indication, belts won’t be going anywhere for the fall. Slender belts in various colors topped off the waists of models wearing both separates and dresses, adding definition to many of the more loosely cut looks.
Photos: Vincenzo Grillo, IMAXtree
