Max Mara S/S 2019 Milan Fashion Week Women's

Mood board: There’s mythology behind Italian label Max Mara. In the fashion canon, the status of its 101801 wool and cashmere coat is comparable to an epic poem. For S/S 2019, the brand’s creative director Ian Griffiths was preoccupied with classical mythological narratives, namely the tale of Amphitrite, the goddess of the sea, who after being forced to marry Poseidon, was relegated to consort by the 12 ruling Greek Gods. Like classical prose, Griffiths came well versed in underwater references, and Max Mara’s timeless shapes abounded with aquatic allure. There were trench coats and court shoes with tendril like ruffles, slippery asymmetric tops, and pencil skirts and glossy raincoats in shades of algae and seaweed green.
Finishing touches: Griffiths was considering unreliable narratives, and the dominance of male perspectives within classical literature. He namechecked Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad, which sees Homer’s Odyssey rewritten from the perspective of his wife Penelope, who waits two decades for the return of her husband. Longstanding creative director Griffiths is also faithful to the working wardrobe of the Max Mara brand. With the exception of some eye-catching sou’wester yellow ensembles, the collection’s predominant colour palette of beige, brown, grey and black will stand the test of time.
Best in show: An oversized Prince of Wales check suit, a chestnut overcoat and a black trench coat with a ruffle at the hem… all the things of wardrobe legend.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Leila Bartell’s cloudscapes are breezily distorted, a response to an evermore digital world
‘Memory Fields’ is the London-based artist’s solo exhibition at Tristan Hoare Gallery (until 25 July 2025)
-
Absolut is reviving Keith Haring’s 1986 poser with a vibrant limited-edition bottle
The Absolut Haring Artist-Edition bottle, released 40 years after Haring collaborated with the vodka brand, features his bold lines, electric colours and dancing figures
-
This hidden London culinary haven is a refreshing take on the steakhouse
Mr Porter, a new steakhouse, bar and lounge in central London's swish Mayfair, is a hidden haven of strong flavours and minimalist dining
-
The collections you might have missed this S/S 2026 menswear season
Between the headliners in Paris, Milan and Florence, a few off-schedule displays are deserving of honourable mention – from Martine Rose’s sexually-charged portrait of Kensington Market to Sander Lak’s appointment-only namesake debut
-
Let there be light: a closer look at Prada’s stripped-back S/S 2026 show set
‘This is the first time the Fondazione is completely bare, with the light coming in,’ said Raf Simons backstage at Prada’s ‘light, fresh, colourful’ and ‘human’ S/S 2026 men’s show in Milan
-
The standout shows of Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026: Prada to Dunhill
Wallpaper* picks the very best of Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026, from Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ ‘light, fresh’ and ‘human’ display to Dunhill’s exploration of English dress codes
-
Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2026: live updates from the Wallpaper* team
From 20-23 June, Milan Fashion Week Men’s arrives in the Italian fashion capital. Follow along for a first look at the shows, presentations and other fashion happenings, as seen by the Wallpaper* editors
-
With an ode to Italy, Homme Plissé Issey Miyake brings its brand of fashion magic to Florence’s Pitti Uomo
Marking the start of a new nomadic way of showing for the Japanese label, Homme Plissé Issey Miyake held its S/S 2026 show at Florence’s Villa Medicea della Petraia as part of Pitti Uomo last night (18 June) with a collection inspired by the colours and textures of Italy
-
What the Wallpaper* editors are looking forward to at Men’s Fashion Week S/S 2026
As Men’s Fashion Week S/S 2026 begins in Florence, the Wallpaper* style team select the moments they will be looking out for – from Jonathan Anderson’s anticipated Dior debut to outings from Wales Bonner, Kiko Kostadinov and Prada
-
50 years of Santoni, the footwear brand steeped in Italian craft, celebrated in a new book
Inside ‘Santoni Meraviglia’, a richly illustrated new tome published by Assouline that tells the story behind the Italian brand’s meticulously crafted footwear
-
‘The White Lotus’ meets La Dolce Vita: inside Mytheresa and Dolce & Gabbana’s Taormina takeover
Wallpaper* travels to Taormina, Sicily, where a two-day celebration of the latest Dolce & Gabbana x Mytheresa collaboration centred around San Domenico Palace, A Four Seasons Hotel – the filming location of ‘The White Lotus’ season two