Last season at BCBG Max Azria, it was difficult to see past the Helmut Newton-esque leather harnesses shown with each look. With their new pre-fall collection, designers Max and Lubov Azria are getting back in touch with the label's softer side, and it wasn't just because they nixed the bondage styling. Sensual georgette ruffles (a major Spring trend) fluttered along the neckline and sleeves of mid-length dresses with nipped-in waists. That silhouette had a distinct 1940s feel, as did the cropped wide-leg trousers and flowing godet skirts here. While the Azrias touched upon the decade, they were careful to keep things modern. A black and white, flouncy miniskirt shown with a boxy coated leather jacket was totally twenty-first century.
