Fashion Week Spotlight: BCBGMaxAzria's SS 13 Collection Challenges You Not to Think of Fifty Shades of Grey

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Each day throughout Fashion Week, we'll be spotlighting one brand or designer whose pieces make up the bulk of our own closets—and we're guessing yours, too. We'll let you know what to expect in stores next season and, of course, any other gossip we took away from the shows.

BCBG Max Azria was born in the final years of the '80s out of the minds of husband-and-wife duo Max and Lubov Azria and the French saying bon chic, bon genre, or good style, good attitude. The accessible airy dresses with an urban edge—a few buzzwords that ensured its popularity—were eventually flanked by a more casual BCBGeneration and the more upscale Max Azria Collection along with the couture line Hervé Léger, which Azria acquired in 1998.

Celebrities and lay people alike have been consistently attracted to the brand since the '90s, and nowhere was that more apparent than the front row of yesterday's show. Looking over the coifs of The Hills and The City's reality princess Whitney Port, TV host Daisy Fuentes, and a cast of models like Selita Ebanks, we watched as this spring looks made moves down the runway.

The bulk of the pieces—while still made of flowing silks and replete with the recognizable cape-backs and high slits—miss the ethereal look of the usual BCBG offerings for a couple reasons. First, bright prints and pops of color from seasons past have been replaced by minimalist black, white, creams, and blushes. Second, hems were chopped right below the knee and many looks were topped off by workwear elements like blazers and blouses. And finally, nearly every modle was strapped down by a harness. Are you thinking what we're thinking? Well, we're all wrong.

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The harness as well as the black and white color scheme was inspired by photographer Helmut Lang's fashion photography of yore and whatever fetishistic subtexts that could possibly be drawn from leather straps over diaphanous lace and silks.

But for those of us who'd rather keep sadomasochism out of our evening wear, note what Lubov told us earlier this summer: "Runway is what you want. Casual, comfortable, practical everyday clothes are what you need. They may be beautiful, but not necessarily fashion forward. It's a balance. You can't have all of one type in your closet." All harnesses are removable, thank god, and what's left is flowing lingerie-like frocks, some incredibly chic portfolio clutches, ankle-cuff heels, and surprisingly functional workwear. You're left to choose which elements make it into your closet.
· Lubov Azria on BCBG's Accessible Pricing: "It's My Goal To Make All Women Feel Beautiful" [Racked]
· All Fashion Week Spotlight Coverage [Racked]