Max Mara has long been synonymous with excellent outerwear. It was in 1981 that Anne Marie Beretta designed the now-signature ‘101801’ for the Italian house, an elegant, masculine-cut wool overcoat which straddles luxury and pragmatism – a dichotomy which continues to run through Max Mara’s collections today. Treated with due reverence, not a single stitch has been changed since its advent, and it continues to be the house’s bestselling piece today.
It is not without competition, though. Since Max Mara’s founding in 1951, the house’s various designers have added to Max Mara’s famed outerwear canon; most recently, British creative director of the house Ian Griffiths, who began working at Max Mara after graduating from London‘s Royal College of Art in 1987. His collections have included a multiplicity of outerwear, though it is the Teddy Coat – first shown on the runway in 2013 – which has been elevated to the house’s ‘Icon’ status. This year, Max Mara celebrates its ten-year anniversary with a series of events and pop-ups taking place around the world.
Max Mara: Ten years of the Teddy Coat
The Teddy Coat was first shown in 2013 by current creative director Ian Griffiths
Originally inspired by a 1980s design which Griffiths discovered in the Max Mara archive, the cocooning Teddy Coat is generously oversized – the house describes it as ’abundant’ in volume, recalling the extravagance of the era – and is crafted from supersoft ’teddy bear’ fabric which is at once warm, protective and surprisingly lightweight (the trick is a blend of soft wool and alpaca or camel fibres on a silk base). It has been aptly likened to a wearable blanket, though it nonetheless remains instilled with the house’s distinct Italian brand of elegance. As such, it has been a hit with celebrities looking for off-duty attire, among them Katie Holmes, Julia Roberts, Blake Lively, Kim Kardashian and recently Hailey Bieber, who has adopted the style for a new generation.
Warm, protective and surprisingly lightweight, it has become a favourite for off-duty celebrities
Festivities began with a celebration of the first ’Teddy Ten’ pop-up in New York’s SoHo district, coinciding with the arrival of fashion week in the city. Clad with the Teddy Coat’s signature fabric, it sets the blueprint for other pop-ups taking place around the world which include a recent opening in Chengdu, China and in London’s Harrods department store, with further events scheduled in cities around the world. Max Mara calls it the ‘great big global fashion adventure’.
Alongside, Max Mara has created an exclusive offering of special-edition pieces inspired by the Teddy Coat – notably, the new ’sparkling’ iteration in camel or white which is crafted with shimmering fibres that feel apt for the arrival of winter and its ensuing festivities. Max Mara is also introducing the ’Mini Teddy Coat’, designed for children aged five to 12, with matching mittens, ear muffs and fluffy hats with teddy ears also available. An array of other products in the teddy fabric – from handbags to bucket hats – are also part of the offering.
The Max Mara ‘Teddy Ten’ pop-up in Harrods, London
Finally, an accompanying tenth-anniversary campaign is lensed by American image-maker Tyler Mitchell and stars Italian supermodel Mariacarla Boscono, running with what Max Mara calls ‘the mantra of every self-respecting icon: “I was, I am, I will be”.’ Another campaign, photographed by Italian photographer Giampaolo Sgura, stars model Arizona Muse and her daughter, who models the ’Mini Teddy’ in the uplifting series of images.
The ’Teddy Ten’ collection is available online and in select retailers and pop-ups world wide. The Harrods pop-up is open until 15 November 2023 and the Teddy Coat is available at harrods.com
American model Arizona Muse, one of the ‘Teddy Ten’ campaign stars
The ‘Mini Teddy Coat’ for children ages five to 12, worn by model Arizona Muse’s daughter
-
Hedi Slimane’s latest Celine collection is an homage the leading ladies of 1960s France: watch the filmInspired by listening to The Velvet Underground and Nico while re-reading Françoise Sagan, Hedi Slimane pays ode to legendary French it-girls like Sagan, Françoise Hardy and Juliette Gréco with a collection rooted in the liberatory spirit of the 1960s
-
'Safe Flight' is ICON's bespoke reinvention of the legendary 1975 Jeep CherokeeICON 4x4 have expanded their Reformer series of one-off custom cars with this reinvigorated classic Jeep, finally bearing authentic Native American imagery for the first time
-
Rolls-Royce’s Bespoke division pushes paint technology to the limits in the Spectre LunaflairThis one-off commission transforms Rolls-Royce’s all-electric Spectre into a shimmering spectacle inspired by atmospherical effects
-
A guide to the best fashion stores London has to offerAs London Fashion Week arrives in the British capital today (13 September 2024), Wallpaper* picks the must-visit London fashion stores – from big-name boutiques and classic department stores to the best in vintage, alongside the sleek and experimental
-
The story behind Dior’s ‘Amphora’ perfume bottle, an icon of mid-century designAn exclusive new edition of Dior’s ‘Amphora’ perfume bottle arrived in Harrods this month. Wallpaper* traces its design history, from post-war to present day
-
Celine Beauté by Hedi Slimane arrives in Harrods with an ‘effortless’ red lipstickHedi Slimane’s Celine Beauté line pre-launches this month in Harrods with its ‘Rouge Triomphe’ lipstick
-
In Japan, Weekend Max Mara’s ‘Pasticcino’ bag is transformed with local craftThe third leg of Weekend Max Mara’s ‘Pasticcino’ bag tour touches down in Kyoto, Japan, where the country’s craft heritage inspires a bounty of riches
-
Highlights from the jet-setting Cruise 2025 showsOur pick of the globe-trotting Cruise 2025 shows, from Dior’s takeover of Drummond Castle, Scotland to Max Mara’s season finale in Venice
-
Milan Fashion Week A/W 2024: Giorgio Armani to Bottega VenetaThe very best of Milan Fashion Week A/W 2024, from Giorgio Armani’s celebration of renewal to the ’monumental everyday’ at Bottega Veneta
-
This season’s womenswear channels freedom and escapeThese S/S 2024 womenswear looks promise an escape from the everyday, and are photographed amid the otherwordly landscapes of the Canary Islands for the March 2024 Style Issue of Wallpaper*
-
Burberry turns Harrods blue in blockbuster takeover of the London department storeDaniel Lee’s signature shade of Burberry ‘Knight Blue’ lights up Harrods’ exterior, while an immersive space inside pays homage to the British house’s history of outdoor exploration
