The buzz around Bryant Park has given the BCBG Max Azria show a thumbs down, but I actually like much of this collection. Styling aside — I don’t see myself pairing bronze leggings with a nickel dress — you can’t go wrong with the parade of shifts he presented in black, taupe, deep plum, and a darker shade of jade. Plus I’m a sucker for texture-blocking, which I think Azria used to beautiful effect in the mix of matte and metallic in the dress pictured above. The art of construction was also exemplified in the mock austerity of the clinging silver dress next to it.
What I’m not feeling is the dye-printed kimono dresses he showed, or the heavy metallic velours, but there’s a customer who goes for velour over the holidays — you know your mom/grandmom would totally go crazy for it — and Mr. Azria, who helms no less than 22 brands including BCBGMaxAzria, Herve Leger, BCBGirls and BCBGeneration knows this all too well.

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[photo by Frazer Harrison, courtesy of Getty Images]