You’d have to make a big leap to draw parallels between Yeezy and Max Mara. But for A/W 17 the two brands have a very important thing - well, a very important woman - in common. Halima Aden. That’s a name you should know. The hijab-wearing Somali-American walked for both brands. She also walked in the Miss USA swimsuit round wearing a hijab, along with a burkini. Speaking at the time, she explained, 'I know so many women who stopped wearing the hijab because they were scared. I wanted to inspire Muslim women to challenge themselves.' In summary, she’s awesome and important and exactly the kind of woman that fashion should latch itself onto in these times. Credit to Max Mara for giving her another platform to get the word out there.
But also credit to Max Mara for realising that she’s bang on brand for them. Their clothes - especially their iconic camel coat that Aden modeled - are all about wide appeal, about proving how one genius, problem-solving piece can work for every kind of woman and every kind of occasion. That camel coat cuts through the obsession with often pointless newness that fashion has. Many designers are waxing on about reality this season - it’s a good word to drop given the state of the world - but Max Mara actually deal in clothes that work for the everyday, for the realities of women’s lives. This notion underpinned the entire collection - full of useful pieces for women who have stuff to do and need to look good while doing it. When it comes to this season’s key themes of equality, relevance and awareness, Max Mara are by far best in show, largely because this casting moment felt natural, rather cynical or calculated.
