Max Mara: Beyond the Camel Coat?

"Kinetic Energy" was the title that MaxMara gave to its collection, which cited Dada, Constructivism and Modernism as favourite inspirations for this fashion season.

But how arty can you make one of MaxMara's camel coats, in the finest Italian cloth, tailored to perfection? And why would you need to fancy up the basic?

A departure from its usual style, MaxMara's A/W 2016-17 collection featured bright colours and bold new cuts

 

 

 

This company had been designing for women in the real world since the 1950s. I would go do far as to say that it has been an accomplice and a supporter in the liberation of women. The coats - big, bold, and, for A/W 2016 with horizontal stripes that were key to the season - came in strong primary colours: red, blue, and yellow. 

The display was confident, graphic, and honest. Women need efficient tailoring far more than the visions of Marilyn Monroe that were presented last season. But to give the collection a modern spin, silvered surfaces, especially the gleam of dull pewter, added a layer of modern chic.

I imagine that MaxMara feels the pressure from all the feather-filled puffa jackets on the streets of the Western world. With such precise, but free-ranging cloth coats, they deserve to conquer the fashion universe.

 

 

Kiton: Tailor-made for Luxury

Kiton's Neapolitan history as a master tailor is in need of a wife. The company, which uses the finest wools for high-end clients, has just made a step towards its goal: Melinda Gates, wife of entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Gates, appeared on the cover of Forbes in a Kiton jacket.

A fur and cashmere gilet from Kiton's A/W 2016-17 collectionPicture credit: @SuzyMenkesVogue

I have visited the workrooms in Naples and watched the hands of the master tailors. But this is the first season of a presentation in Milan when it seems that womenswear is gaining strength.

Showing in rooms that represent the spirit of Kiton's Neopolitan base, models created tableaux vivants to display the crispness of a daffodil yellow jacket or the softness of silken pyjamas.

 

 

My eye was caught by a cashmere cape, which seemed to have the right quality, confidence and cut to seduce female partners - in business or romance - Bill Gates' or otherwise.

Picture credit: Indigital