Practical, elegant, simplicity.
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Nobody can dispute MaxMara’s grip on the coat market, particularly after this morning’s show where almost every outfit came ‘coated’. From the first to last, we were in no doubt as to the brand’s outerwear supremacy.
The show opened with a camel coat – the classic staple with which MaxMara made its name – but this was no ‘classic’ coat. Proportionally, this was positively out there, voluminous in the extreme, pieced together with multi-fabrics that included leather, giant jersey ribs, camel-hair, spun-alpaca and shearling, then styled with pushed-up sleeves, huge cosy fleece hoodies and MaxMara trainers (in suede and python) that gave a modern youthful attitude.
The show notes called the collection 'The New Bauhaus' and told us how it revolved around a ‘practical elegance’ and ‘functional simplicity’, echoing the founding principles of Bauhaus that is also part of the MaxMara heritage.
Layering was also key. So underneath the new proportion coats that were relentlessly big, sturdy and cosy-looking, were cashmere trouser suits and maxi-cable cashmere sweaters, blousons, cocoon bombers, over-sized jackets, pencil skirts and dresses. Layer upon layer looked great on the catwalk, even if in real life the only place to wear such chunky coverings would be the North Pole.
The neutral palette of camel was broken up with mustard yellow (again to show off the cut of those oversized hooded coats which might have benefited from a stricter edit) then navy and dark green. The last two outfits (including yet one more coat) were more svelte at least, tailored in iridescent black.
It was a cohesive, strong, modern outing for MaxMara. And at least you now know where to head for next winter’s coat.
