It can occasionally seem as if Lubov and Max Azria resurrected Hervé Léger for one reason: to send professional partygoers scurrying to the gym. For pre-fall, their skintight bandage dresses are as sexy—and uncompromising—as ever. This season's offering saw an uptick in prints (a pretty floral, in some cases dressed up further with hand beading), while the bondage theme was amplified with a series of harness belts. Color-blocked, paneled, and jacquard-striped versions came in two lengths: mini and mini-er (with a couple of knee grazers throw in). New shades like military green and blush pink provided the shock of the new; otherwise, this was mostly business as usual. And why not? Sex sells, and in a murky market moment when even the canniest can barely see a quarter ahead, the Azrias know that it's a surefire way to find happy customers.
