A Moden Medieval Muse
Review of Max Mara Fall 2026 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
Max Mara looked to the dress codes of warrior women from the Dark Ages to make sense of our own unsettled times. Framing the fall collection as a kind of modern armour, these were clothes for women still engaged in daily battles via the boardroom.
In channelling the legacy of Italian military ruler and feminist (before feminism was invented) icon Matilde di Canossa, the designer infused utilitarian staples with neo-medieval gothic chic. Brushed metal studs on second-skin boots, suede patches reinforcing knit dresses, sweeping cloak coats and sharp shoulders suggesting a uniform for contemporary conquests.
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Weekend Warrior, Refined Design for the Dark Ages, Haute Heroines
In evoking the warrior dress codes of the Dark Ages, MaxMara creative director Ian Griffiths invited us to consider the parallels of the modern Dark Ages that we are currently living through.
A recent trip also formed Griffiths creative narrative this season, viewing as he did artefacts from the Dark Ages. The spark of an idea came from his observation that they became more beautiful as they aged. As at Prada he was considering products that get more beautiful the more they’re used. A perfect leather biker jacket or pair of denim jeans only benefit from years of wear that permeate their surfaces with custom creases and contours formed by the body’s natural curves. Here, he thought of the parallels of a Max Mara coat, which he conveyed backstage as akin to a lifelong “companion.”
The historical muse this season was Italian feminist icon Matilde di Canossa. A powerful figure of her time she was a military ruler and arts patron who “who ruled vast territories from her castles above Max Mara’s hometown.” Giving her the credentials to join the Max Mara pantheon of key female figures who played a significant role in modern history.
The parallels from di Canossa’s legacy were used to develop a collection that was an update on utilitarian design. Taking it a few centuries into the past “neo-medievalism and a hint of gothic chic” were to be found in the brushed metal studs on second-skin nubuck boots, suede shoulder patches across knitted sweater dresses, the sharp padded shoulders, elbow-length gloves, and sweeping cloak-style coats. A battle-ready uniform for women on the rise, still fighting, not on the battlefield, but in the boardroom.
THE QUOTE
We’re celebrating the durability and sustainability of MaxMara products and their lifelong beauty, and we’re celebrating the graceful power of the woman who wears them.
Ian Griffiths, Creative Director, MaxMara
THE WRAP UP
MaxMara has always sought to empower women throughout the decades. Women who are ‘on the rise’ as the notes put it and require a uniform to do battle. And in merging history with modernity the brand will always speak to the modern Italian woman and her timeless style built on resilience and longevity.
