Max Mara’s 2023 early spring collection was released in the capital of Portugal, Lisbon, held in the garden of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Museum, blending the brand’s iconic understated Italian luxury style with the history, art, and humanistic characteristics of Portugal, paying tribute to this culturally rich city.
Lisbon has always been the capital of art, literature, and social trends, located at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Museum. Not only did Max Mara provide funding for the restoration of the 18th-century French art gallery in the museum, but also a portrait of the poet Natália Correia, housed in the museum, served as a key source of inspiration for Creative Director Ian Griffiths this season.
As early as the mid-20th century, Natália Correia had already expressed feminism in her own way, advocating for a sensual and passionate female charm. Her works “Anthology of Erotic” and “Satirical Portuguese Poetry” were considered banned books, yet her ideas inspired Ian Griffiths to create clothing that highlights the beauty of female curves.
The first to make a splash is a powerful all-black hooded coat, followed by an extension of the brand’s classic coat silhouette, with black, white, and nude as the main color tones. Whether it’s a short-sleeved rolled hem, a neat cut open style, or a fluffy teddy bear variation coat, all bring out a woman’s elegant charm to the fullest, whether open, paired with a belt, or buttoned up, it’s quite fashionable.
The second half of the collection features a large number of brightly colored and fluffy skirts, as the bar founded by Natália Correia was a gathering place for many cultural celebrities at the time, deeply influenced by the salon culture of the era. She had a particular fondness for pleated skirts. The various styles of pleated skirts in the collection are made of gorgeous gradient pleated taffeta, whether it’s a tight fit or floor-length, or a pencil skirt with a flared hem resembling a flower bud, all embody the passionate and exuberant qualities of the Portuguese people.
