The Max Mara Atelier line is an edited, sophisticated offering of just 14 coats. Almost 80 percent of each piece is made by hand. It could be read as the label’s jewel in the crown, a celebration of the company’s industrial–meets–high-end savoir faire.
The Fall collection was subtly infused with a discreet artsy inspiration, referencing Italian Transavanguardia artist Mimmo Paladino’s sculptural works. His enigmatic golden masks were hinted at in the amber-hued silk lining of a masculine pin-striped coat in double cashmere with a matching pin-striped mink collar, and in the fan-pleated back of a double-cashmere riding coat, cut with refined neatness. In the same vein, a couture-inspired high-neck collar morphing into a hood graced a cocoon-shaped zippered short coat in featherweight mohair. An archetypal masculine wrap coat in double-felted cashmere impressed with its clean, essential lines.
Each coat had a unique, expressive personality, designed with different women and body types in mind. Shapes were comfortable and forgiving, practical in a sumptuous, luxurious way. The outerwear was precise, but had supple, sensuous textures. Delicate, natural shades of gray, oatmeal, camel, and rust were balanced by a deep black that added allure and strength.
