Max Mara

Founded in 1951 by Achille Maramotti in Reggio Emilia, the fashion house was initially named Confezioni Maramotti with the aim of introducing American industrial processes into European tailoring culture, thus creating Italian pret-a-porter.

In 1957, the company expanded and moved to its new headquarters designed by industrial architect Eugenio Salvarani, changing its name to Max Mara. "Max" is a superlative, while "Mara" is a diminutive form of the founder's surname.

Achille Maramotti chose the men's coat as an iconic garment for women's wardrobes, and in the 1960s, Max Mara established its creative studio to research the expression and personalization of outerwear.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Max Mara began collaborating with international designers such as Anne-Marie Beretta, Emmanuelle Khanh, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Narciso Rodriguez, Proenza Schouler, as well as fashion photographers including Richard Avedon, Arthur Elgort, Steven Meisel, Sarah Moon, Max Vadukul, Mario Sorrenti, David Sims, and Craig McDean.

During the same period, Max Mara also introduced the Manuela coat, made of pure camel hair with a notched collar, side pockets, wrap-around closure, and a belt. It has since become a distinctive outerwear piece for the fashion house.

In 1981, French designer Anne-Marie Beretta created the model 101801 coat, a camel-coloured wool and cashmere overcoat that became an iconic symbol of Max Mara. Inspired by the men's Ulster coat, the most noticeable feature of this model is the "puntino," a stitching detail derived from men's tailored suits.

In 1989, the MM Magazine was launched, a biannual fashion and lifestyle publication distributed in the brand's stores and selected multi-brand retailers.

In 2003, Max Mara relocated to its new campus in Reggio Emilia on Via Giulia Maramotti, designed by John McAslan & Partners.

Max Mara has spawned 35 labels, although Max Mara womenswear, usually stylized as MaxMara, remains the core of the company. Other brands include Sportmax, Sportmax Code, Weekend Max Mara, Marella, Pennyblack, iBlues, MAX&Co. (the trendy, youth division), and Marina Rinaldi. This last, founded in 1980 and named after Achille Maramotti's great grandmother, is one of the best-known: in her obituary of Maramotti for The Independent.

In 2013, Jennifer Garner became the first celebrity spokesperson for Max Mara. Starting in September 2013, the campaign appeared in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, W, InStyle, The New York Times, and the International Herald Tribune.

Criticism

In 1995, Max Mara was placed under investigation by Florentine magistrate Antonio Grassi for alleged commercial fraud; at issue were Mara labels that allegedly overstated the percentages of plush fibers such as cashmere, angora and mohair mixed with the wool of certain garments.

Research of the social democratic party in the European Parliament, the Sheffield Hallam University and further groups accused Max Mara in 2023 of using forced labour camps exploiting Muslim Uyghurs in China provided by the Anhui Huamao Group Co., Ltd. for production.

In 2024, the Humane Society of the United States campaigned for Max Mara to stop trafficking in the fur trade of foxes, mink, and raccoon dogs, stating "Max Mara has fallen behind their competitors—including Gucci, Versace, Armani, Prada and Valentino—that have already gone fur-free."