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MILAN, Italy — The quest for that most intangible of qualities — coolness — is never ending. Most of the time, it boils down to a styling trick. But with this in mind, it's always quite interesting to see what Max Mara, a bastion of timelessness and evolved classicism, does with its show, as the action on the catwalk can often feel quite extreme compared to what ultimately hits the shops floor.
The show notes, quite confusingly, addressed Bauhaus, Dada and Modernism as sources of inspiration, but it looked like elegant dissonance was high on the design team's agenda. Think stripes and lots of them — at times too overtly reminiscent of a seminal Prada collection — and a general inversion of the codes of night- and day-wear.
The opening look, a classic coat, glowing in sequins, made a statement. When paired with ribbed shorts, the house's trademark outerwear was charged with a zing of youthful sensuality. All in all, it worked well: this is one Max Mara collection that, broken in pieces, could actually translate pretty seamlessly into commercial product.
