Presenting Max Mara's new Resort collection, creative director Ian Griffiths talked about early 1980s New York, the moment "when the worlds of art, music, performance, and fashion collided." The Tom Tom Club played on the show's soundtrack; aside from that, the eighties mood came across mostly in the lineup's accessories: "dookie chains," Kangol-style hats whipped up in glossy snakeskin, and practical sneakers. Only, the commuters of thirty years ago didn't have Velcro-closure running shoes in the finest color-blocked leather.
The clothes themselves were fairly sporty in nature but made from luxurious, ultra-comfortable fabrics. Double-face cashmere hoodie, anyone? Or how about a pair of crisp, well-cut trousers in the marled gray shade of your softest sweats? Still, the collection was aimed less at women's leisure time than it was at their office hours. Max Mara's power customer will find double-breasted pantsuits, a silk crepe shirtdress (she'll wear it sans the leggings it was shown with), and trenches here—all fashionable but not too forward. The biggest statement the Max Mara team made, save for all those accessories, was color. Mixed in with the gray and indigo tailoring, mostly shown in monochrome, was a bright pop of bubblegum pink and a warm wine red. Those will get you noticed in the concrete jungle.
