Max Azria, Founder of BCBG, dead at 70

Max Azria, the Tunisian designer behind BCBG Max Azria and CEO of the conglomerate of the same name, has died in Houston, Texas. The designer died from lung cancer, according to WWD who first reported the news.

Before creating the renowned label BCBG—which stands for Bon Chic, Bon Genre—in 1991, Azria moved to Los Angeles in 1983 and opened a chain of multi-brand boutiques called Jess. Once BCBG took off, the brand was known for its wide variety of well-received dresses. Eventually, Azria would go on to create an empire of brands including BCBG, BCBGeneration, Max Azria Atelier and Hervé Leger by Max Azria, the brand known for its signature bandage dresses.

Over the years, Azria had garnered a roster of celebrity clients to wear his designs for red carpet occasions as well as additional projects such as collaborations. Eventually, he would be inducted into the Council of Fashion Designers in America in 1998.

Azria’s legacy is survived by Lubov Azria, who had served as the creative director for BCBG Max Azria Group since 1991, and his six children.

Image: Nicholas Hunt / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP