September 20, 2024 |
Female mathematicians and scientists, ancient and modern, were on Ian Griffith’s mind for his Max Mara collection. He was inspired by the strength and non-conformist genius of women like Hypatia of Alexandria, a pioneering 4th Century mathematician who was stoned to death as a witch. That got him thinking about the idea of experimenting – working out the perfect style equation.
His collection delved into fashion geometry with clever triangle constructions and lean, v-shaped silhouettes. Ingenius darts and folds on everything from white cotton shirts to tailored jackets, body suits and floor length trench coats, created a distinctive, V-shaped, trigonometric elegance. Griffiths recalled making endless versions of the belted jacket for Max Mara at the beginning of his career with the house in 1987. “I revived it,” he said of the strong-shouldered, nipped-in looks he sent down the catwalk. A bitter chocolate, navy, beige and white colour palette only added to the sophistication. Griffith never allowed his inventiveness to overshadow the elegance. “The MaxMara woman doesn’t want look like an experiment. She wants to look polished,” he counselled. In his clever hands, she always does.
Photography courtesy of Max Mara.
