All the most resonant brands have a few things in common. Great design and the ability to spark desire are givens, but the key to longevity often lies in ‘owning’ a tangible story and identity. It’s why women go to Saint Laurent for Le Smoking, or Alaïa for cling dresses. Unlike those Houses though, Max Mara isn’t birthed out of a French couture salon. The brand’s focus has always been ready-to-wear—specifically, the kind of style solutions for modern, multifaceted lives who nevertheless value dressing well. Since its founding in 1951, the brand has become a go-to for its camel-hair pieces—the most popular of which are the fuzzy Teddy Bear coat and the soft, enveloping 101801 that most people think of when they think of a Max Mara coat.
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Each season, Ian Griffiths creates a narrative and a universe in which the brand’s signature camel pieces can exist believably, with little tweaks and twists. In an industry obsessed with novelty, Max Mara chooses not to play the seasonal overhaul game, and instead builds a seamless wardrobe to be refreshed and remixed over time. For fall/winter 2025, Griffiths channelled the Romantic mood of the Brontë sisters’ Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights. The resulting palette of earthy, mossy greens and juicy berry tones juxtaposed superbly with the rich, warm tones of the camel-hair pieces. For cruise 2026, the designer looked to Italian sensuality of the 1950s variety, best exemplified by Sophia Loren. Here, camel-hair fabric was turned into lightly draped goddess dresses, and coats and sheaths with clavicle-baring portrait necklines.
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The brand’s latest core values campaign—which highlights its craftsmanship and timelessness—is a camel-centric affair titled “Time, Tailored”. In it, the British model Edie Campbell is photographed by Oliver Hadlee Pearch as she gives new meaning to street style in the brand’s Icon coats: The Teddy Bear and the 101801, of course, but also the robe-like Ludmilla, the trench-style Manuela, and the boxier, more structured Olimpia. A sister campaign, featuring K-pop star Hyeri, showcases a more youthful side of the camel-hair wardrobe. The 101801, for example, is paired with a scarf top, a baseball cap, and wool and cashmere sweats; while the Teddy Bear is dressed down with lace-up camel combat boots. With its cross-generational appeal, the Max Mara camel universe has never looked more inviting.