In 1994, Hervé L Leroux, founder of Hervé Léger, created a dress made of elastic strips of fabric sewn together tightly, creating a second-skin type of affect. The bandage dress, as it became known as, was worn by everyone in the late 90’s: Cindy Crawford, Eva Herzigova, and Karen Mulder. It was a supermodel staple that quickly trickled down to the socialite shopper.
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When Hervé Léger was acquired in 1998 by BCBG Max Azria and Leroux parted ways with his eponymous line, the brand was still able to capitalize off of the iconic dress. Paris Hilton. Lindsay Lohan. Victoria Beckham. If you were a woman in Hollywood in the early aughts, you needed an Hervé Léger. It was that simple.
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But like most things in fashion, the piece became quickly dated; ferociously copied by fast fashion retailers in cheaper, less desirable fabrics; too ubiquitous to be thought of as chic. Diet Prada would have had a field day. And then, it just kind of went away, changing hands many times (twice last year), and all but disappearing.
Until yesterday, when news broke of a new designer taking over: Christian Juul Nielsen previously worked at Dior, Oscar de la Renta, and J. Mendel and while not much is known about him, we do know that a new collection waits in the wings and will be shown this September fashion week.
“I really want to take the brand back to the basics and to create vibrant yet paired down, classic pieces that will stand the test of time,” Nielsen tells InStyle.com exclusively. “When Leroux founded the brand he pioneered the use of materials typically found in foundation garments to make his dresses. He developed a knitwear technology that molded and shaped the wearer’s figure. It was rather revolutionary and it’s definitely not going away.”
Christian Juul Nielsen
So expect an updated bandage dress in your future. And colorful ones, at that.
“On my first day I got the opportunity to check out the archives. It was an incredibly inspiring moment, especially the pieces from the 90s. The colors from those garments are so vibrant and sophisticated. Bringing the color back to the brand is definitely something I’d like to do.”
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