The models stomped out like sullen robot soldiers, sporting low ponies and cherry pouts that Suri Cruise would have adored. When the lights went up, it was clear that body-con is anything but gone.

Should we be getting used to Max the minimalist? Perhaps. Mr. Azria and his wife, Lubov, seem to have found a real affinity for simplicity. The focus here was on a dress that hovers just below the knee or farther and channels a dancer's athleticism and grace. A black bandage and metallic knit asymmetrical dress that was smack dab in the middle of the collection immediately reminded me of a Balmain dress from Fall ’08, but I *almost* liked it better thanks to a long sleeve. The Azrias aimed to hold your interest with the geometry of sliced cutouts, thin crisscrossing straps, and linear piping experiments. The strategy proved successful.

Necks craned for a futuristic black and neon pink enamel-beaded bandage dress. Still, the points of departure, like a couple of great slouchy silk crepe suits, were welcome.