For Autumn Winter 2026, Ian Griffiths, creative director of Max Mara, turned his gaze to the Dark Ages — though in this rendition, they were anything but dark. Instead, Griffiths reimagined the time not as a period of gloom, but as one of endurance and intellect.
Griffiths’ heroine this season was Matilde di Canossa, the 11th-century countess who brokered peace between popes and princes while ruling vast Italian territories from her hilltop castles. A military strategist and political diplomat, Matilde becomes, in Max Mara’s hands, a metaphor for modern female power.
That strength was communicated through the pieces themselves, rendered in a mix of heavy cashmere, rich suede, and tactile silk. The cut also echoed the period in question, from suede tunics to robe-like coats that nodded to medieval silhouettes without veering into theatrics. A palette of greys, browns, and the House’s iconic camel felt grounded, enveloping the body in a way that suggested both protection and polish. There were also subtle gestures to armour, from double-buckled belts fastened at the waist, to nubuck patches reinforcing the shoulders of coats. Even the pronounced, rounded shoulders carried the House’s architectural signature, recalling the year 1981, when Max Mara introduced its now-iconic 101801 coat. If 1081 marked Matilde’s rise, 1981 cemented the brand’s.
At the same time, nothing felt heavy. The collection moved with ease, balancing structure with fluidity and reminding us that strength does not have to be rigid. As the show notes suggested, Max Mara reimagines the modern woman as Matilde: unflappable, fearless and victorious — not on the battlefield, but in the boardroom, and beyond.
