Now that’s a wrap!
Yesterday marked just the fourth year the Herve Leger line has shown at New York Fashion Week — but its signature piece, the bandage dress, has already become the frock of the age.
“Oh my Lord — I’ve used it hundreds of times!” says celebrity stylist Phillip Bloch. “It works wonders on every woman, whether you’re skinny or curvy. It’s a good friend to gravity.”
Katy Perry, Cindy Crawford, Kate Hudson, Blake Lively (above left) and Victoria Beckham are but a few of the stars who’ve worn the bandage dress — so-called because its wide strips of fabric wrap around the body, nipping and tucking. Like Spanx or a corset, the secret of its success is keeping every curve in the right place.
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French designer Leger opened his first shop in Paris in 1985 and, like his mentor Azzedine Alaia, began working with “body-conscious” silhouettes, which resonated with the overly aerobicized, Amazonian aesthetic of that decade.
In 1998, the designer (real last name: Leroux) sold his company to BCBG Max Azria — the first time an American house purchased a French couturier.
But it wasn’t until nearly 10 years later, when celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe paid a visit, that the bandage dress caught fire. She put then-client Lindsay Lohan in a rainbow bandage dress (top, center) for a party at the Gansevoort Hotel in 2007, and demand soon surged.
The dress doesn’t change much from season to season — just little touches to keep it modern. Yesterday, the line showed dresses with different patterns (right) and with chains woven into the design.
“[The dress] really elevated the brand, and it’s a status symbol now,” Azria says. “Prom alone in Beverly Hills — everyone goes for the dress.”