Some brands are synonymous with the Gossip Girl era of fashion. BCBGMAXAZRIA is one of them. The fashion brand and its diffusion labels, including BCBGirls and BCBGeneration, were amongst the hottest fashion brands in the early 2010s.
The brand has almost a million followers on Instagram and is trying to reposition itself as a minimalistic fashion brand for the millennial woman.
Recent partnerships have included a collection with Maeve Reilly, the celebrity stylist, and a fashion collection featuring Swarovski crystals.
BCBGMAXAZRIA is trying to rebrand itself as a minimalistic fashion brand for the millennial woman
Is BCBGMAXAZRIA about to become popular again? We’re taking a look at the brand, its #BeYourOwnMuse campaign, and where the label is now.
What is BCBGMAXAZRIA Known For?
BCBGMAXAZRIA was launched in 1989 by Max Azria. The name was a play on the French phrase “bon chic, bon genre,” meaning “good style, good attitude.” It promotes the ethos that a good attitude is the first step to having a good style.
The brand was launched to offer luxury fashion at a more affordable price. The first BCBG Max Azria runway collection was showcased at New York Fashion Week in 1996, with Charlize Theron being one of the first brand ambassadors.
BCBG became famous as one of the first brands to make designer fashion accessible.
BCBGMAXAZRIA was launched in 1989 by Tunisian-Jewish-born American fashion designer Max Azria (Credit: INFevents)
The BCBG aesthetic focused on classic fashion that was more conservative than what else was on the catwalk.
BCBG is known for being heavily influenced by European fashion, taking inspiration from established fashion houses like Max Mara, Gucci, and Chanel. The brand has typically shied away from loud pieces or following trends like logomania.
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Following its bankruptcy in 2017, BCBG has shifted to focus on “elevated attire for any special event or occasion.”
Recent BCBGMAXAZRIA collaborators include Rosie Huntington-Whiteley for SS19 and Maeve Reilly for SS23, with Adriana Lima being the face of the brand’s #BeYourOwnMuse campaign.
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BCBGMAXAZRIA Loyalty Program
If BCBGMAXAZRIA is a brand on your radar, you’ll want to enroll in its loyalty program. You’ll earn gifts, rewards, free shipping, and other perks. You’ll get 50 points when you sign up and automatically accrue extra points as you make purchases.
You’ll earn one point for every dollar that you spend, with the option to cash in your points for savings on future purchases. You can redeem 100 points for $10 off at checkout.
BCBGMAXAZRIA offers free gifts, rewards, free shipping, and other perks when you enroll in its loyalty program (Credit: BCBGMAXAZRIA)
What is Happening to BCBGMAXMAZRIA?
The company’s fortune went downhill after the exit of Max Azria from BCBG. It filed for bankruptcy in 2017 before being sold to Global Brands Group and Marquee Brands.
BCBG is pivoting as a brand to better align with the fashion industry’s focus on minimalism and sustainability. Part of this transformation is the ‘Borrow Program.’
In keeping with the industry’s focus on sustainability, BCBG is offering a Borrow Program in partnership with The Ensemble, allowing shoppers to rent items from the brand
BCBG has partnered with The Ensemble to rent items from BCBG, with the option to purchase the item during your rental period. Most items on BCBG.com are available through the borrowing program, except for accessories.
While BCBG’s success in the early 2000s meant it could expand into several product categories, it now focuses heavily on evening wear.
BCBGMAXAZRIA’s Diffusion Brands
While BCBGMAXAZRIA was the first brand Azria launched, he went on to establish a range of other eponymous brands and diffusion labels, including BCBGirls and BCBGeneration.
Max Azria Atelier was launched in 2004 with a focus on couture gowns.
Lubov Azria and her husband Max Azria pose backstage at the BCBGMAXAZRIA fashion show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2015 at The Theatre at Lincoln Center on September 4, 2014, in New York City (Credit: Derrick Salters / WENN)
Tunisian-born fashion designer Max Azria died of lung cancer in 2019. His second wife, Lubov Azria, was the Chief Creative Officer of BCBG Max Azria Group. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and was sold to Marquee Brands and Global Brands Group.
Azria dressed celebrities, including Fergie, Alicia Keys, Sharon Stone, Kate Beckinsale, and Selena Gomez in the late 2000s.
Selena Gomez, Kate Beckinsale, Alicia Keys, Fergie, and Sharon Stone wearing BCBGMAXAZRIA outfits in the late 2000s (Credit: Jen Lowery / Bill Davila / Shelly Patch / Startraksphoto)
While Azria expanded his eponymous brands, he also relaunched Herve Leger – the fashion house he acquired in the late ’90s.
Azria was responsible for the rise of the Herve Leger bandage dress, one of the most iconic clothing items of the decade.
What is BCBGirls?
While BCBGeneration was aimed at women in their 20s, the BCBGirls brand was designed with younger girls and teenagers in mind.
The brand originally launched as a footwear category before expanding into clothing. It was primarily sold through department stores like Macy’s, with most stock ending up at discount stores like TJ Maxx. BCBGirls is no longer an active brand.
BCBGeneration vs. BCBGMAXAZRIA
You can think of BCBGeneration as the younger, cooler, and more affordable sister brand to BCBGMAXAZRIA. The more accessible price point makes runway-inspired fashion attainable for Gen Z customers.
It was launched in 2008, before Azria’s partnership with Miley Cyrus, building a younger following for BCBG and its sister brands.
Most BCBGeneration pieces retail for under $100, while you can expect to pay between $300 and $500 for a BCBGMAXAZRIA dress.
BCBGeneration is BCBGMAXAZRIA’s younger, cooler, and more affordable sister brand, with products retailing under $100
BCBG Shipping and Returns Policy
Are you thinking of buying something from BCBGMAXAZRIA? You’ll want to know about the shipping and returns policies before placing an order.
BCBG returns can be made online within 30 days from the delivery date of your purchase. While you’ll receive a full refund, the outbound shipping charges and a return shipping charge of $9.95 will be deducted from your total.
Final sale and outlet items are non-returnable. BCBG does not currently allow exchanges.
BCBG accepts returns within 30 days of your purchase’s delivery date and offers international shipping for orders excluding shoe purchases (Credit: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock)
The official BCBG website offers international shipping for orders excluding shoe purchases. BCBG has international websites for customers based in the EU, UK, and Mexico.
International returns are subjected to the same conditions as domestic returns and cost $45. You can still take advantage of the BCBG loyalty program as an international customer.
FAQs about BCBGMAXAZRIA
1. What Does BCBG Mean?
BCBG is an abbreviation for the French phrase “bon chic, bon genre,” meaning “good style, good attitude.”
2. Who Owns the BCBG Brands?
BCBG, including BCBGMAXAZRIA and BCBGeneration, was purchased by Global Brands Group and Marquee Brands in 2017 after declaring bankruptcy.
3. What Does BCBGMAXAZRIA Sell?
BCBGMAXAZRIA now focuses primarily on evening wear with a limited accessories range. You can also rent dresses from BCBGMAXAZRIA’s current collection through the brand’s partnership with The Ensemble.
4. Why Did BCBG Go Bankrupt?
There are many reasons why BCBG went bankrupt in 2017. The brand became lost in an expanding niche as more brands started to offer designer fashion at an accessible price point.
They were competing against too many brands with similar offerings at the same price point. BCBG arguably expanded too quickly with more physical stores than they could afford.