Those gathered in Milan for its fashion week stretched out this Thursday with Max Mara. A quick espresso at the doors of the Museo dei Bambini to immediately delight in a dose of elegance with an Italian flavor. With a crowded sitting, under the watchful eye in the Spanish area of well-known faces such as the influencer Marta Sierra or Victoria Federica, the first designs of the Spring/Summer 2024 collection by Ian Griffiths illuminate and refresh this gray morning in the capital of Italian fashion.
A color palette composed of apple green, acid lilac and Klein blue introduces a line that seeks to pay a small tribute to the eternally versatile: "look, it's all Texan," whispers one of the initiators. The favorite streetstyle fabric is presented in a ready-to-wear style through pencil skirts, polished dresses, shirts with extreme collars and cropped jackets. There are already several seasons, and brands, that predict a new language of luxury, more earthly and closer to the streets, but above all to the versatility that the woman of our times needs.
In this sense, Max Mara's high-end wardrobe reinvents the overalls and work coat in this collection. A one-piece uniform, in short and long versions, that conforms to the house codes, with leather belts that outline the desired hourglass figure.
The heritage of this seventy-two-year-old house is preserved, however, in each collection through an exercise of reinterpretation. Griffiths, the creative head of Reggio Emilia for 30 years, never forgets the historical archive of Max Mara, the traits, such as minimalism or the so-called "beautiful figure" of which he is considered the architect, that have made her famous in fashion Italian.
Thus, the spring wardrobe proposed for 2024 does not forget knitting as a classic and timeless fabric of the style that defines Max Mara. A pair of shorts paired with a bra and an oversized cardigan, a high-neck midi dress or a sweater with large patches on the shoulders become key pieces in this show that remind the public of the brand's basics, the historic craftsmanship of the signature, which must never be forgotten.
In this dialogue between tradition and renewal, versatility and elegance, there is also room for the glamor and majesty of evening dresses. The creative evokes in them the delicacy of femininity, the subtlety, the romanticism contained in the airy strapless dresses, made of tulle and with prints that transport those who observe them to a floral landscape with a neoclassical aesthetic.
The decade of the seventies is revived in this collection through extreme lapels, collars and sleeves that are imposed in the majority of designs. Likewise, the large pockets top shorts, pinafore dresses and over shirts, giving them a fun and more informal look. Shoulder bags are reduced to the size of a glasses case or small chests in this era in which our entire universe is stored on our mobile phones, although the essential tote bag also has its moment in favor of the aforementioned versatility.
This first taste of Italian craftsmanship and sophistication on the second day of the Milanese catwalk leaves attendees satisfied but hungry for more. The aperitif, at 2 p.m., is provided by Prada, followed by other main courses such as Mm6 Margiela, Emporio Armani and Moschino.
