BCBG MAX AZRIA AUTUMN/WINTER 2015-16 READY-TO-WEAR NEW YORK

When you live in Los Angeles, it’s easy to forget how miserably cold winter is on the East Coast. “When we got to New York, the weather just hit us in the face,” said designer Lubov Azria backstage. Her solution? Layer, layer, layer. “Originally, [one look] was a turtleneck, a dress, and a bag. It became a turtleneck, a dress, a neck piece, a coat, an over-the-knee boot…”

There may have been a concerted effort to warm things up, but husband-and-wife team Max and Lubov can’t let go of California cool. Prompted by the handwork and beading they saw on a trip to villages dotting the coast of the Baltic Sea, the Azrias played the laid-back-bohemian thing once again with tunic and poncho shapes that fell away from the body. There were lace-up details, some truly unique embellishments—including laser-cut shearling that was applied to a camel coat in a lattice pattern—and a good deal of patchwork. But those pieced-together dresses and coats looked clean, thanks to the leather trimming that seamed it all together.

To be sure, these pieces weren’t all for the Arctic. The Azrias offered plenty of wisp dresses—layered with sheer turtlenecks—for the customer who lives in warmer climes. It would certainly take more than a lot of layering to make it through a New York winter in this collection, but the folksy, crafty vibe will appeal no matter the temperature.