What was Max Azria's net worth?
Max Azria was a French fashion designer who had a net worth of $400 million at the time of his death. Max Azria was the founder of the contemporary women's clothing brand BCBG MAX AZRIA. The name "BCBG" came from the French phrase "bon chic, bon genre," which means "good style, good attitude." He successfully developed high-fashion collections for women from separates, suiting, evening dresses, and denim, to footwear, eyewear, swimwear, and handbags.
At his peak, circa 2010, Max Azria's net worth was $1.2 billion. At that point, the company's 21 brands were generating annual revenue of $2 billion. Unfortunately in his later years, his company faced significant struggles. Max left the company in 2016 and a year later the brand filed for bankruptcy. It was acquired out of bankruptcy by Marquee Brands. Unfortunately Max died on May 6, 2019 at the age of 70.
The main brands under the BCBG umbrella at its peak were:
- BCBGMAXAZRIA: The flagship brand known for its ready-to-wear collections, including dresses, separates, and accessories for women.
- BCBGeneration: A more affordable, youthful line targeting younger customers with trendy and casual styles.
- Max Azria Atelier: The haute couture line featuring high-end, intricate designs showcased during fashion weeks.
- Hervé Léger: Acquired by BCBG in 1998, this brand was famous for its iconic bandage dresses.
- Max Azria: A contemporary collection for women with a focus on modern, clean aesthetics.
- BCBG Max Azria Runway: The brand's runway collections presented during New York Fashion Week.
- BCBGMAXAZRIA Bridal: A collection of wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses.
(Photo by Joe Kohen/FilmMagic)
Early Life
Max Azria was born on January 1, 1949, in Sfax, French protectorate of Tunisia. He was of Mizrahi Jewish and Sephardi Jewish descent, and he had five older siblings. Max went to school in southeastern France as a child, then his family moved to Paris in 1963. His brother Serge founded the women's clothing lines Current/Elliott, Joie, and Equipment.
Career
Max spent 11 years designing women's apparel in Paris, then he moved to Los Angeles in 1981. There, he opened a series of new-concept women's apparel boutiques called Jess. In 1989, he launched the design house BCBG Max Azria, which gained attention for offering affordable designer fashion. In 1996, the BCBG Max Azria Runway collection was featured at New York Fashion Week for the first time. Azria also launched the ready-to-wear collection Max Azria and the couture gown collection Max Azria Atelier. Celebrities such as Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, and Sharon Stone have worn gowns from Max Azria Atelier on the red carpet. In 2009, Angelina Jolie wore Max Azria designs to the Critics Choice Awards and Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2006, the company acquired G+G Retail, which had operated the Rave and G+G brands before going bankrupt. In 1998, Max acquired the fashion house Hervé Léger, and nearly a decade later, he relaunched the label with his own designs.
During New York Fashion Week in the fall of 2008, he produced three fashion shows, Max Azria, BCBG Max Azria Runway, and Hervé Léger by Max Azria. That year he also launched BCBGeneration, a young contemporary collection, and in 2009, he collaborated with Miley Cyrus on the Miley Cyrus & Max Azria line, which was sold at Walmart. Max designed clothing for Miley's 2009 tour as well. In 2016, Azria left BCBG, and the company filed for bankruptcy the following year. The company was sold to Global Brands Group and Marquee Brands. Max became CEO of ZappLight (a bug zapper) as well as its parent company, Clean Concept LLC, in May 2017, and he said of his new position, "Though fashion and technology are inherently different, they increasingly intersect as both are centered on pushing the boundaries of great design and in inspiring and delighting consumers. I am thrilled to be part of this new and exciting venture to grow ZappLight into a global brand, adopted in homes everywhere to prevent virus-carrying insects."
Beverly Hills Mansion
In 2005 Max paid $14.4 million for a Paul R. Williams-designed 30,000-square-foot mansion in the ultra-affluent Holmby Hills neighborhood in Los Angeles. The home, which sits on 2.8 acres, has 14 bedrooms and 25 bathrooms. In the years following his purchase, Max spent an additional $30 million on renovations.
In 2015 Max listed the home for sale for $85 million, but did not get any buyers. His widow offered the home again over the years for as little as $55 million. In 2024, she placed it up for auction with no reserve price. Here is a video tour of the mansion:
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Personal Life and Death
Max had three children, Marine, Michael, and Joyce, with his first wife. Azria remarried in 1992, and he and his second wife, Lubov, had daughters Anais, Chloe, and Agnes together. Lubov served as the BCBGMAXAZRIA Group's Chief Creative Officer, and Joyce became BCBGeneration's creative director in 2009. On May 6, 2019, Max passed away from lung cancer at a Houston hospital at the age of 70.
Awards
Azria was named California Designer of the Year in 1995, Atlanta Designer of the Year in 1996, and Divine Design's Women's Designer of the Year in 1998. He won the Fashion Performance award in 1997 and the Otis College of Art and Design's Fashion Achievement award in 2000, and in 1998, he was inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In 2000, the "Los Angeles Business Journal" included BCBG on its list of the "Top 50 Private Companies in Los Angeles."
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