September 25, 2025 |
Let other designers channel Marie Antoinette. Max Mara’s Ian Griffiths focused on an alternative 18th century icon, the ultimate self-made woman Madam Pompadour. Not a high-born aristocrat, she nevertheless became one of the most influential political and cultural figures of her age. “She did it by her own merit,” said Griffiths as he reeled off her many accomplishments, from patronising Watteau and Boucher to founding the Sévres porcelain factory, debating Voltaire and performing in operas by Moliere and Racine to patronising artists. “I think everyone’s looking for the escapism of poetry in their clothes right now,” said Griffiths. But how to translate her rococo romance into Max Mara’s modern tailoring? This is a brand where real world clothes rule.
“Lightness and strength” was his mantra. Griffiths deftly stripped out weight using stretch jersey for pencil skirts and organza for coats, adding chiffon ruching to shoulders and sending out ruffled rah-rah skirts under trench-style bombers. But he was careful to keep it under control. “Fussy clothes don’t give you a sense of power,” he cautioned.
The designer made great use of a special technical mesh, for tops and and dresses skirts. “People are looking for lightness, and they’re looking for weights that don’t feel too hot. And it’s the perfect thing because it has a sense of structure and it doesn’t crush.”
On his mood board were Cecil Beaton’s portraits of a young Queen Elizabeth II with Fragonard paintings in the background, as well as David Bowie and a portrait of himself as a student, wearing the first garment he ever made for himself – a flounced jacket blue satin lining material. Max Mara is a grown-up brand but Griffiths always brings an element of his club kid youth into the collection.
Photography courtesy of Max Mara.
