For the Modern Woman in Control, Max Mara Says Be the Beneficiary of Your Own Beauty
Review of Max Mara Fall 2024 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
THE THEME
What is past can be made modern again, as we have seen countless times with the re-hashing of certain cultural points from different decades over the last forty or so years. Ian Griffiths at Max Mara, like many of the designers who put in the work of thoroughly researching an idea or concept – so it doesn’t come across on the runway as surface level cut-and-paste – was inspired by the Belle Epoque for fall 2024.
A period in complete contrast to today, the Belle Époque era was positively tranquil, as it was a time period of optimism and economic prosperity prior to the outbreak of the First World War. A woman of this time was Colette (no surname needed), a writer, music hall performer, and feminist icon whose work was acclaimed, yet still caused a scandal at the time, being that she was accused of writing ‘immoral books’. But it was her ‘voluptuous prose’ such as “All my body yields itself up to sleep, relaxed, and my neck weighs heavily on your gentle shoulder” (an excerpt from Colette, Sleepless Nights, The Collected Stories of Collette) that caught the attention of the creative director, and translated itself into a collection for women-in-control of their careers, lives, and above all else, sensuality.
Backstage Griffiths made no apologies for using so much black and grey for fall, as he was taking a break from camel – for a season, maybe two. And in doing so, it is interesting to find how much clearer it is to really see the clothes again. As when you are expecting the expected, you often engage on autopilot, knowing that a camel teddy coat is coming up, or a belted wide leg suit. Today we were invited to look again and observe the light through the dark, i.e. twist-front belts, chunky ribs, and mesh inserts. The creative director was aware of the irony of navy looking modern again, but this may simply be because it has been a long time since it was spotlighted as a colour to actually make a conscious choice in selecting for a fashion item. As in its previous guise, it was relegated to uniform status – schools, office workers, the actual ‘Navy’.
Having written about the way in which navy was poised to set the agenda as a key trend for 2023 and beyond, it has always been ‘No-nonsense Navy’ that was considered a steadfast colour (granted, it’s what customers are seeking at this time, which may be why there has been a distinct lack of overly colourful collections this season), but just one year ago at the fall 2023 shows designers were buying into glossy leathers in navy, sumptuous velvets in navy, and pinstripes in navy. Like it or loathe it, navy is here to stay. And at Max Mara, where it looked most compelling was in the styling of the darkest navy hues with classic black.
Elsewhere, Griffiths played on perception through the angle at which you viewed the collection, what was seen straight on would appear classic Max Mara, but while it was all business in the front, the party was happening in the back (a trick of the eye, which would also later be seen at the Prada show which followed). The buttoned-up seriousness of look number 17 – a double-breasted wool coat – disguised the creative pattern-cutting which lay behind, in the form of a boule. Creating a blouse-like gathering, as if the back panel of a blouson jacket had been expertly attached to the back of the coat, masterful! The creative director also took a twenties inspired satin romper and reworked it for daily use in a grey-marl, as well as a stone suede, which both came across as infinitely more interesting than the mini dresses that have been on every runway for years. Griffiths idea of evening which enables the wearer to pull it out at any time of the day was clear from the restrained, yet still intricate, use of embellishment, again in that navy and black colour combination which as he said, looked new again.
A micro-trend that has been spotted in Milan is the knitted waist-warmer, seen at Fendi in bright yellow only one day before, Max Mara’s version takes a versatile approach, styled with a skinny belt across the middle like an Obi belt, there is also scope to pull it up to be used as a make-shift snood should the temperature drop. Watch this space to see if the trend continues into Paris.
THE BUZZWORDS
No-nonsense navy, Belle Epoque, women in control
THE SHOWSTOPPER
Look # 40
The last word in ‘streetsmart luxury’ a skirt suit is translated into urban armour with its twist-front details, strict column skirt, and black and navy colour combination. Epitomising the femininst icon Colette’s desire to dress only for herself.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
It seems like a moment when black, blue, and grey are modern, but don’t ask me what modern means as its one of those words we use, yet can’t define. But they seem like the most modern way of dressing right now. As those silhouettes -the coccoon back and the bomber shapes – look most modern in black, and blue, and grey”
Ian Griffiths, Creative Director, Max Mara
THE WRAP UP
When asked about whether there was any correlation for the starting point of the Belle Époque period being this seasons inspiration point, i.e. 100 years, Griffiths was adamant that no, he doesn’t need to find connections or significance in numbers or anniversaries, saying “I don’t really look for patterns – like that – in history”, highlighting the fact that “there are limited parallels between then and now”. The Belle Époque period was a time of abundance and prosperity, and “great wealth and social innovation” which he noted is the complete opposite of the times we are now living in, which is what creates new ideas. Rather than looking to what is familiar, we should seek out the opposite to find new answers and inspiration.
