Max Mara Celebrates 70 Years with its FW21 Collection

Max Mara FW21
Look 17: asymmetric tweed zip jacket, matched with tailored trousers and leather walking boots.

Max Mara’s FW21 ready-to-wear collection celebrates the brand’s 70th Anniversary, with a return to its iconic Italian accent on Britannic style. The authentic yet eccentric collection reflects on the rise of women in the 70 years of Max Mara. When Achille Maramotti founded the brand in Reggio Emilia in 1951, he aimed his designs and creations at the wives of Italian professionals. Seventy years later, the wives themselves have become the professionals.

“They rose, and they rose, and Max Mara rose with them. Now they’re doctors, they’re lawyers, they’re vice president of the United States.”

The collection pays tribute to this rise, with a focus on power dressing and classic Max Mara staples creating a runway of female celebration. In the same way, the Anglocentric influences on the brand remain clear. With designer Ian Griffiths at the helm, a 1980s London punk kid turned Suffolk rural gent, the brand continues its tradition of putting an edge to classic styles; slouchy kilts sitting on the hips, chunky socks, tailored suits in tattersall checks, oversize Aran knits and organza frills.

Max Mara FW21
Look 21: Longline teddy coat with monogram patterned silk skirt
Max Mara FW21
Look 27: Heavy cable knit Aran sweater and organza kilt, with leather heavy walking shoes

British inspired rural wax jackets, neutral toned alpaca sweaters and quilted gilets are accented with tailored cuts and statement shoulders, and contrasted against organza kilts, colourful silks, patent leather loafers and chunky boots. A nod is made to the anniversary with knitted sweaters in multiple colourways, stitched with 1951 across the chest in a vintage, elaborate font.

As per tradition for Max Mara, their coats are the pièces de résistances. Constructed with care and expertise, the collection showcases a variety of styles, from long, draping overcoats and soft teddy jackets, to classic longline camel styles, each coat combines ‘the perfect harmony of volume, proportion, balance, construction and finish’.

The celebratory collection is encapsulated by the simple symbol of an exclamation mark; the character was designed by Marmotti’s graphics team for the brand’s first decade, and 70 years later returns to punctuate the FW21 collection, available this fall at maxmara.com