Max Mara channels audacious women for Milan show

Max Mara's latest collection at Milan fashion week eschewed shock value in favor of practical, elegant designs intended to resonate with adult women. Designer Ian Griffiths emphasized creating pieces that integrate seamlessly into a woman's existing wardrobe, moving away from trends that alienate or make women feel inadequate.

The show presented well-tailored coats, sturdy block-heeled boots, crisp white shirts, and roomy trousers and skirts in shades of sand, chalk, grey, and black. Griffiths stated that the styling gestures, such as a popped collar or a knotted belt, were subtle and not gimmicky, with the aim for models to be able to walk directly from the runway onto the Milan streets.

Griffiths explained that the brand, founded in the 1960s on the principle of "real clothes for real women," was returning to its core strength of creating "real life chic." The moodboard for the collection featured portraits of pioneering female figures from the 1930s and 1940s, including aviators Amelia Earhart and Beryl Markham, explorer Freya Stark, wildlife photographer Osa Johnson, and cross-continental driver Eva Dickson. Griffiths sought to channel their "nonconformist glamour" into modern wardrobe pieces, emphasizing the idea of "going places with a certain amount of panache."

The collection included chore jackets with safari-jacket influences, stretchy halter tops cinched with D-rings, and double-breasted blazers, presented as a glossy, Milanese interpretation of how many women already dress.