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For his Spring 2027 collection for Max Mara, designer Ian Griffiths took primary inspiration from the remarkable and defiant globe-trotting women of the 1930s. “This collection celebrates the remarkable pioneers who charted unknown territories — not just on maps, but across the social fabric of their time,” said Griffiths in the show notes. “The intrepid explorer Freya Stark, wildlife photographer Osa Johnson, cross-continental driver Eva Dickson, and fearless aviators Amelia Earhart and Beryl Markham; these women proved that a woman’s spirit knows no boundaries.”
In another designers less skilled hands such a concept, with such distinct muses, could have turned costumey or overly historic, but not so with Griffiths. After nearly 40 years at Max Mara, he knows how to thread a reference without it overwhelming the house’s codes and eye to modernity and elegance above all else.
The classic safari jacket was Griffiths’ starting point. Draped and knotted to the side, or worn long and loose like a duster coat, this icon of adventure was iterated again and again in linen, gaberdine, and sheer silk, melding the romance of a desert crossing with the practicalities of modern life.
Max Mara Spring 2027
Max Mara Spring 2027
Max Mara Spring 2027
Max Mara Spring 2027
In a season that has seen more than it’s fair share of bra tops and lace-accented slip dresses, Griffiths’ collection might seem timid by comparison, but there is some real heat and sex appeal here, too — the kind that enhances the wearer’s confidence rather than exploiting it. Knit tops hug the body while halter tops and dresses leave backs completely exposed. Bra tops are abundant, but largely hidden under shirts and dresses in matching fabrics. And the show’s final section featured a parade of long dresses and floor-skimming skirts that hugged the body in seductive sheerness.
Max Mara Spring 2027
Max Mara Spring 2027
Max Mara Spring 2027
Max Mara Spring 2027
Outfits were almost universally monochromatic, adding to the easy elegance of looks built around generously proportioned high-waisted pants and anchored by body-hugging turtlenecks.
Max Mara Spring 2027
Max Mara Spring 2027
Max Mara Spring 2027
The best bags were capacious yet luxurious, especially when rendered in rich, buttery-soft suede, and shoes balanced practicality and sex appeal with super high, but very sturdy block heels. And the long belts that appeared throughout the collection helped to define the silhouette while imparting each look with just the right amount of sartorial flare.
Max Mara Spring 2027
Max Mara Spring 2027
Max Mara Spring 2027
It was the kind of collection that any woman would look elegant in and, we imagine, many women will be clamoring to buy next year.
Check out the rest of the collection below.
You can view the original article HERE.
