Mercedes Benz February 2008 NY Fashion WeekTeri Agins Comments on Hervé Leger by Max Azria

Fashion Week-Bryant Park, New York City: On February 3, 2008 at 2:00 pm, exiting the Hervé Leger runway presentation, we spent a few minutes talking to Teri Agins, a Fashion Writer for the Wall Street Journal and Author of The End of Fashion.

Mariessa (M):  It is so great to see you!  What is the buzz about the Hervé Leger line?

Teri Agins (TA): Hervé Leroux was the original designer of the Hervé Leger brand.  But, there was some dispute and he sold the trademark.   Max Azria from BCBG bought it and has worked to revive the brand.  There was a lot of excitement in the room today because people wanted to see the brand come back. Other than Dolce and Gabbana and maybe Roberto Cavalli, this kind of tight sexy look is virtually missing in stores.  I thought it was cool…on the front row they had all of the girls lined up in their dresses.  It was a nice photo opportunity.  Azria definitely knows what he is doing with regard to the re-launch of this brand.

M:  Which designer do you look forward to seeing every year?

Tracy Reese & Washington Post journalist Robin Givhan backstage after Reese runway show on 2.3.08

M: WDC recently introduced legislation to create a Fashion Commission.  Do you think that fashion can spur economic development?

I don’t know.  But the thing is…I can understand why DC might want to get in on this.  Fashion is a big part of pop culture and people are interested in following it.  Dallas has a market week. Chicago and Los Angeles do, too.  The stereotype of Washington is that the people are very staid.  But, I do not think this is necessarily true.  I think that Washington, DC has enthusiastic consumers.  Why not?  Especially, if you can get the retail community behind it! 
The one thing that I like about the DC Fashion Commission is the development of a Fashion Incubator.  Today, schools are not teaching art and music.  Therefore the kids do not get exposed to the design industry.  I like the fact that you are making an education effort. That is really important.  When people get exposed to fashion, then they become consumers with an interest in the industry, the clothes, design and creativity.  This is all a part of the art world. That is great!

M: Thank you Ms. Agins! 

FYI, darling: WHO IS HERVÈ LEGER?

Leger is a Parisian designer who began his career in fashion as a hair dresser and milliner (www.herveleroux.com). After working as Karl Lagerfeld’s assistant at Fendi and Chanel, Léger opened up his own atelier in Paris in 1985. Léger perfected the bandage dress made of bands of stretch fabrics, wool, or silk woven with Lycra or Elastene, wound around the body for a tight fit.  Max Azria bought the brand in 1998 and hired Jerome Dreyfuss to take over.  Leger left the brand he created soon there after suing for breach of contract and trademark infringement among other things.  Leger renamed his line Hervé L. Leroux (Hervé the Red).  He continues to design elegant, body conscious gowns at his boutique located on 32 rue Jacob in Paris.

 Honey, DC Has Always Been Fashionable…

Fashion Facts provided by Janette Hoston Harris, Ph.D., the City Historian for Washington, DC

On January 17, 2007, Teri Agins traveled to Washington, DC to participate in a panel discussion on protecting fashion through intellectual property law held at the Corcoran Gallery of Art.   Ms. Agins’ phenomenal book, The End of Fashion: How Marketing Changed the Clothing Business Forever providesan in-depth analysis on the importance of branding to distinguish fashion goods and services in a saturated marketplace.

Today’s branding of fashion has taken on a critical role in an era when there’s not much in the way of new styling going on-just about every store in the mall is peddling the same style of clothes.  That’s why designer logos have become so popular; logos are the easiest way for each designer to impart a distinguishing characteristic on what amounts to some pretty ordinary apparel.  -Excerpt from The End of Fashion

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