Lubov Azria: Interview FW 2016
Lubov Azria: BCBG Interview FW 2016
It’s not difficult to compliment Lubov Azria on another terrific collection. As we told her the next day, when we interviewed her for Max and Lubov’s all-knitted sister brand Hervé Léger, BCBG’s runways are everything a fashion show should be. No celebrity vocal lip-synch performances. No “cirque du soleil” moments, or moonwalking vampires. (Okay, we admit, we’ve never actually seen moonwalking vampires on the runway. And not that quirky moments don’t sometimes have their charm, because they do.)
But BCBG is pure fashion: amazing clothes, glamorous models with spot-on makeup and hair. The kind of fashion show you can imagine seeing on the runways of 1960s Paris, only with clothes that are 2016-ready.
And the all-Bowie remix soundtrack was not only poetically appropriate, but — even more poetically — was actually envisioned during the genesis of the collection itself.
With that, enjoy this interview with BCBGMAXAZRIA doyenne and creative director Lubov Azria — partner of Max — with our own Editor-in-Chief Chris Collie.
Q: What was the inspiration behind this year’s collection?
Well we started for fall — can you believe it’s Fall 2016 already? It’s too much.
So we have a board of inspiration in our office, and for some reason we kept putting up David Bowie’s pictures. Four decades of David Bowie’s pictures. And nothing to do with his costumes. It was the idea of performance, The idea that performance gives us hope. Gives vitality. Gives inspiration to us all. And we took that performer into our collection.
For some reason we kept putting up four decades of David Bowie’s pictures.
So every model that’s going to walk down the runway has something that’s Lurex [yarn with a metallic appearance] on her. She had leggings that have like a slash. We also watched Bandstand. Remember Bandstand? Do you remember all of those people who wanted to be on camera? Wearing something that’s Lurax or something that’s shiny.
So there’s a little bit of ‘80s in the collection, just a little bit. But that idea of the performer, never giving up. Living your dream.
You know, when I was a little girl, you couldn’t get me out of like sequined leggings. I had to have them. I would wear them. They were like … me. Without them, I wasn’t myself.
And I’m sure for a lot of other people, whether it was the Member’s Only jacket .… Or the Micheal Jackson ….
When I was a little girl, you couldn’t get me out of like sequined leggings.
Q: Oh I loved it. I had to have that.
Or a tutu for a little girl. But the idea is to never give up hope for yourself.
So this collection kind of has this metamorphosis between being structural, where you have a lot of very menswear cut tailoring in the collection, and there’s graphic cuts, there’s volume in the sleeves, volume in the dresses.
Fabrications are heavier a little bit. They’re wool / alpaca. They’re beautiful, sumptuous. However, the little girl is in there. She’s in there, and she’s celebrating. And I feel like at any point she could just rip her clothes off and be ready to dance. But the idea that she’s not.
The idea that you live in this beautiful world. In this tough world. And you are still keeping that hope and beauty alive.
So this collection kind of has this metamorphosis between being structural … but the little girl is there. You are still keeping that hope and beauty alive.
Q: Okay, I know you have to run, so I’m going to ask you another quick question. Where do you see fashion going in the next 5 years, as far as fashion week and the retailers. Everything is so: They want it now. They want it right now. How do you feel that transition is going to play into your designs and your collection?
It’s been coming up for years. But there are two calendars. There’s a fashion calendar. And there’s the retail calendar. So fashion follows the retail calendar. The retailers are people like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdales, the large department stores and the small. They dictate that in January, you ship spring. So until that calendar changes, fashion is going to stay similar.
Until that retail calendar changes, fashion is going to stay similar.
I mean I know that Burberry and other people are changing. But the point is, unless the buyers are willing to buy winter clothes in January, it doesn’t matter what we show. We want to make it a big deal, but in reality it’s retail the retail calendar that has to make the changes.
BCBGMAXAZRIA FW16: The Show
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With love,
FWO
