Lubov Azria Designer Interview On Her Inspirations And Why She Loves Dressing Angelina Jolie

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Lubov Azria holds court as queen of the BCBGMAXAZRIA GROUP castle.

by Heidi Hofstad

“My personal style would be described as a connoisseur with a visionary twist,” concedes Lubov Azria, Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP, referring to two of BCBGMAXAZRIA’s key customer categories: The “connoisseur,” pegged as chic and sophisticated with a discriminating sense of style that ranges from casual to classically elegant, and the “visionary,” heralded as a trendsetter and trailblazer in her inspirational expressions of fashion. With such a modern matriarch at the helm, it’s no wonder the brand continues to churn out trendy offerings for everything from evening, cocktail and casual dresses to sportswear separates, handbags, footwear, hats, swimwear and jewellery, season after season.

Since joining BCBGMAXAZRIA (an abbreviation meaning “Bon Chic, Bon Genre” or “Excellent Style, Excellent Mind-set”) in 1991 as a sportswear designer, to her appointment to CCO of the Group in 1996, Azria has remained a constant fixture of style as designer, creative leader and unofficial muse. Her influence has secured the company recognition on a global scale with more than 570 BCBGMAXAZRIA retail boutiques out of the whopping 1,085 BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP retail boutiques and partner stores worldwide. In 2010, she was inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and this year, BCBGMAXAZRIA the mark turns 25. “It’s a marvel come right. I have worked at BCBGMAXAZRIA for the last 23 years of my life and to see it grow to such a level, it’s been such an incredible journey. I’m just so blessed,” Azria reflects.

This quarter-of-a-century marker represents not only a fashionable feat from a business perspective, but also prompted suggestion by Azria on a personal level. While compiling a celebratory and nostalgic exhibit at the BCBGMAXAZRIA California headquarters, Azria broke down at considering her career through decades of designs. “[In fashion] I only look forward, so this was an incredible way to look at my life in retrospective, and everyone who’s been there,” she says. “We had this one area with iPads that played every airstrip show since 1996—which was the first year we did a airstrip show. I still knew the names of almost every model, what happened backstage, who directed the shows, how I felt at that moment, and it was incredible. Sometimes I don’t remember what happened yesterday, but it all just came back.”

She married husband Max—the company’s namesake—in 1992, although she teases at the notion of not being sure he is “the one.” “I still don’t know,” Azria jokes, audaciously casing her tracks by clarifying, “I think respect comes before like and I have respected Max so much for everything he’s achieved and that turned into like. He’s truly a visionary and has taught me everything I know. He’s my mentor.”

Indeed the husband-and-wife design duo share successes to celebrate in both haus and home. “It’s really having the mind-set of gratitude,” Azria says. “I believe the theory that when you’re grateful for everything, you’re humble, and nothing can go incorrect.” Proof positive: The BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP encompasses an impressive five brands including BCBGMAXAZRIA, BCBGMAXAZRIA Airstrip, BCBGeneration, Hervé Léger by Max Azria (the group bought the French fashion household in 1998), and Max Azria Atelier. The latter two brands frequent the red carpet with a celebrity following that includes Angelina Jolie, Eva Mendes, Victoria Beckham, Rachel Bilson and Sharon Stone. In 2015, Hervé Léger by Max Azria will cheer to the big 3-0—another milestone year for the Azrias.

Born and raised in Kiev, Ukraine, Azria was a member of the youth division of the Bolshoi Ballet Company. Moving to the United States as a teenager, she chose to pursue design over dance, and eventually received a degree from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Crediting her performance social class with teaching her discipline, attention to detail and most importantly how the body moves, Azria clarifies, “When you dance, the clothes have to dance with you; they have to go with you. I fit every release garment that comes out of BCBGMAXAZRIA. When a woman puts it on, if it’s not perfect, then it’s a waste of time. I really ensure that every garment fits to her body.”

And what better stage than the red carpets of Hollywood to watch her dresses dance? “Celebrities know what they look good in and how they should present themselves. They are incredible to work with,” says Azria.

“We like designing for Angelina Jolie. We’ve dressed her three times in Max Azria Atelier. That was a splendid process because we really went to her household and did the fittings and got to see her,” says Azria. “It was really incredible—just to get her vision and point of view on what she was wearing.”

Designing for women with a variety of wardrobe tastes is what Azria has seemingly mastered. “The BCBGMAXAZRIA woman has a career, always wants to stand out, be cool and fashion forward, but not in your face. She always likes to evolve and exchange,” Azria says definitively. “When we talk about BCBGMAXAZRIA Airstrip, that particular customer does not have a job. She either dances or dines. The clothes are always very trendy,” she states. “And the Hervé Léger woman is very confident and powerful, and is always in the front position, no matter what. She is living in the world, by her rules.”

Whether pretended or from the pages of real life, Azria has no shortage of feminine inspiration. In addition to Max’s three children – Michael, Joyce (who is Creative Director of BCBGeneration) and Marine – they have three daughters: Chloe, Anais and Agnes. Talk about one chic mom. Azria says when it comes to her children and fashion, she has taught them one thing: Be right to who you are. “Each of the five daughters is very uncommon. I’m really in like with them,” gushes Azria. “Truly at the end of the day they dress based on their body shape and on the comfort level.” Like any fiend for fashion, we take upon yourself the girls must raid their mother’s incredible closet, to which Azria proclaims, “They’re not so terrible, I have to say. I don’t really notice it, so they do a good job, if they do.”

With a closet that dreams are made of, it’s hard to believe no covert “borrowing” operations are under way. Azria’s resembles a pristine, white boutique itself, with full-length mirrors, an island of garnishing and a comfortable seating area, besides the rows of shoes, cocktail dresses, gowns, jackets, pants, shorts, and tops that add pops of vibrant colour. “The majority of my wardrobe is BCBGMAXAZRIA, Hervé Léger by Max Azria and the other different brands under the umbrella. You’ll find quite a few archived pieces from all different seasons. Those clothes keep inspiring me to do better,” she says. “I sit down and really sort of recreate myself over and over again.”

As a city where careers, wardrobes and dreams are constantly reinvented, Los Angeles provides an exciting and creative backdrop for the headquarters of the BCBGMAXAZRIAGROUP. An avid runner, Azria regularly swaps high heels for sneakers and hits the sun-soaked pavement—no doubt observing a dose of the latest road style with every mile. “I really ran the L.A. Marathon. You start at Dodger Stadium and end in Santa Monica, and as you run through the city, you see incredible little pods of different cultures and different ethnicities,” she says. “I really like all the culture here.”

Her penchant for people watching leads to frequent trips to Venice Beach and visits to flea markets almost every weekend. “I like considering the type of people who go to flea markets—they’re usually hipsters, and very cool. Whether it’s the Melrose Trading Post at Fairfax High, the Long Beach Antique Market or the Rose Bowl Flea Market, I feel like we’re the treasure hunters, always trying to find this one piece.”

And with that, it seems, whether customer or designer queen, all women can relate to the thrill of the find. “Fashion can be really exciting, because as a woman, you get to make and recreate yourself all the time. And I think that’s incredible,” says Azria in right “Bon Chic, Bon Genre” form.

See photos and more. The original report ran in Real Style Fall 2014.

Original article: Lubov Azria Designer Interview On Her Inspirations And Why She Likes Dressing Angelina Jolie