The Max Mara show was really strong this season. The brand always manages to stick with it's signatures, like their emphasis on outerwear and camel toned classics, whilst also introducing new themes and references.
For fall, this was an interest in military which was a fitting reference considering the emphasis on outerwear. They came in the oversized scaled up styles that we've seen a lot of this season with great bell sleeves styled over army green shirts, tailored shorts and a crocodile belt. The sailor references translated on the hats and striped tops that came along with dungarees or tucked into cropped tailored trousers.
The shows and Milan have been totally different from what we've seen in London and New York. Where the latter two have been all about colour and dramatic prints, Milan has been a lot more restrained and while you wouldn't expect Max Mara to go down that path - after all, they are known for mastering all things nude - the collection was definitely representative of the more subdued feeling in Milan this week.
For all of you who love sportswear, the collection has you covered. The show was full of cropped sporty jackets, pedal pushers (yes, 90's style but tighter), racer back zip up waistcoats and ribbed jersey jumpsuits that, while looking comfy, were not the strongest looks we've seen from the brand. The combination of their classic colour palette of nude, caramel and coffee combined with teal this season, didn't quite work. As you would expect, their outwear was spot on coming in lightweight styles that will be perfect for that in-between summer weather but unfortunately the experimentation with sportswear didn't translate too well.
MaxMara has long ruled the roost when it comes to neutral minimalism but unfortunately beige and nudes have often been seen as boring and uninteresting by the masses. Of course that was until last season when Phoebe Philo, along with Chloe and Max Mara naturally, turned neutrals into the go-to colour palette of choice. With that in mind, it was always going to be interesting to see what the brand would do next as their signature aesthetic continues to gain momentum.
For S/S11 they got experimental and played with colour with bright orange, purple and yellow all talking centre stage on jumpsuits, simple long sleeved tops and jumpsuits in the brand's signature sharp silhouettes. But the collection was not without it's neutrals. White appeared on cable knit jumpers teamed with a skinny brown belt and cropped tailored trousers and beige high waisted skirts came belted with bandeau tops. Simple shirt dresses, blazers and oversized bags also came in varying shades of the hue, which undoubtedly had buyers sharpening their pencils yesterday.
This season the body and shape of graments were the focus. Thigh baring high slits on max dresses appeared, nautical blue and white striped double breasted jackets were teamed with not much else, short red shorts came with a sheer white shirt and bandeau tops appeared throughout. Dresses were often bod con - shorts were the same - or hung femininely down the body and were cinched in at the waist.
She might have been signed six years ago by IMG and landed a number of high end jobs since then, but this Summer really is the season ofFreja Beha Erichsen, the 22 year old Danish model known for her signature walk, bad girl look and androgynous figure.
This year has seen the slight model grace the coveted Spring/Summer covers of i-D and Numéro Homme, the August covers of French and British Vogue as well as appearing in a multitude of high end campaigns - Max Mara, Valentino, Chanel and Tom Ford Eyewear to name a few. Featuring in Balenciaga's upcoming campaign, Freja is now ranked no.2 on Models.com coming just behind the goddess of curves, Lara Stone. It seems there's no stopping fashion's favourite bad girl!
Zoe Saldana, star of Avatar - one of the most talked about films of the year so far - has been honoured by luxury Italian house Max Mara, as 'Face of the Future'. The American actress, who is equally as beautiful in real life as on Pandora, will attend Max Mara's AW10 catwalk show today in Milan as front-row guest of honour.
It will be later on this year that Ms Saldana receives an award at the Women in Film Crystal & Lucy Gala, sponsored by Max Mara, which is to be held in Los Angeles this June.
