Miley Cyrus has been selling Hannah Montana pants and tupperware at Wal-Mart for some time. So if she wants to have her people create more cheap items of apparel bearing her name to sell to innocent, impressionable young things everywhere, fine. She and Wal-Mart can have each other. But Max Azria? He of Hervé Léger and BCBG and his own eponymous line? He who chose Nastia Liukin for the spring 2009 Max Azria campaign? Good heavens, why is he working with Miley on her next Wal-Mart effort? Doesn't she have enough people to help her? WWD reports that Max became good friends with Miley — and her parents Billy and Trish — after he dressed her for events like the premiere of Hannah Montana: The Movie and the 2009 Grammy Awards. Their "trend-right" line of apparel for Wal-Mart will include tops, pants, graphic T-shirts, and shoes, all for $20 or less.

Clearly there is only one explanation for how Miley managed to pull he of the coveted $3,000 bandage dress into a land where ground hamburger meat co-exists with cardboard racks of $5.99 Milo & Otis DVDs. Her evil Disney powers must penetrate not only prepubescent girls but preeminent designers. All those encrusted gowns she wears must have the same hypnotic powers as that troublesome blonde wig. Billy and Trish are undoubtedly behind-the-scenes accomplices. But it's never too late for Max to save himself. Target would probably be happy to have him do a diffusion line. Or H&M. Or Kohl's. Anything but this!

Miley Cyrus, Max Azria Sign Deal With Wal-Mart [WWD]