Stars Make A Case For The Summer Suit At The Max Mara Resort Show

Emily In Paris actress Ashley Park was in attendance.

Max Mara resort show 2023

by Hattie Brett |
Published on

Flamenco dancers in Seville, sunsets in San Diego, starry night catwalks in Southern Italy… the series of Cruise collections staged by luxury fashion houses across the past few months have come with a side-show of spectacle. MaxMara’s show may have been the last, but it proved no less ambitious: with the Italian luxury brand taking over Lisbon for a show that had at the heart of it a powerhouse woman who demands clothes that work as hard as she does – without skimping on style.

Claire Danes made a strong case for the summer suit

Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images

That theme would have pleased Hollywood actress Claire Danes, who flew into Europe straight from wrapping the eagerly-awaited screen adaptation of cult book Fleishman’s In Trouble. (Spoiler alert: she says it stays incredibly true to the book.) She chose a linen suit to sit front row because of its familiar, classic silhouette. ‘It’s reminiscent of 30s and 40s designs, and the women of that era that had some sass, integrity and salt,’ she said of why the MaxMara aesthetic appeals. ‘There’s something hard about it, but it’s also beautiful luxury.’

Max Mara Resort 2023

The MaxMara muse: a multi-tasking woman

It was almost as though Claire had taken a sneak peek at the moodboard of MaxMara Creative Director Ian Griffiths. It centred around a Skapinakis painting of a woman he’d spotted in the show’s venue, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum. ‘She’s so imposing, serene, regal… she looks like a Queen with two other women sitting at her feet with a very deferential air,’ he recalled backstage. The woman, he went on to discover, was Natalia Correia – an influential figure in Lisbon’s art scene in the 50’s and 60’s and a worthy muse for the show. ‘Here is the archetypal powerful woman multitasking because she was a poet, an activist, and intellectual. She worked in film, television, theatre - she knew everybody.’

Max Mara Resort 2023

Clever clothes for real women

There was in the collection then, every element a woman like Correiea might need in her wardrobe today. Yes, the delicious camel coats MaxMara is so rightly famous for, but also pencil skirt and blouse combos that screamed modern working girl. For evening? Take your pick from a series of maxi jewel-tone cotton dresses that looked supremely easy to throw on and go, or a white silk jumpsuit that screamed stealth luxury.

Max Mara Resort 2023

The message that these were clothes real women will want to slot into their existing wardrobe straight from the catwalk was accentuated by the clever casting. The star appearance was from one of Portugal’s most famous fado and pop singers, Carmnio. ‘Casting her, is a statement about real women – real women who are happy and proud of themselves,’ said Griffiths backstage. ‘She is beautiful.’

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be sexy

Max Mara Resort 2023

If the clothes were deceptively simple though, that didn’t mean they couldn’t also be sexy. One of the elements of Correiea’s story that Griffiths liked so much was her liberal adoption of lovers – sex on her terms. For Griffiths that meant ruffled sheath dresses and flamenco-esque skirts worn with cropped tops that showed just a sliver of flesh. ‘This new spirit of sexiness is different from other manifestations of body consciousness which have almost bullied women into becoming something that they can't become,’ he explained.

Emily in Paris star Ashley Park would agree

Another of the front row guests was happy to embrace the sexier side of MaxMara: Emily in Paris star Ashley Parkwho wore her white suit sans… well anything. ‘I feel very strong in this suit even though it’s super feminine,’ she said of her outfit choice. ‘We decided to not wear a shirt under it because that feels very me. I feel very safe and secure in this but I also feel very sexy.’

Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images

Pushing boundaries is a lesson she says she’s learnt from her on screen character Mindy. ‘Mindy is not confined to a box, she could be in something vintage and classic in one scene and something so off the wall in another and fashion forward in another,’ Park explains. ‘I tend to love really classic timeless styles but to have a little extra oomph in it or a little pizazz.’ That’s not to say she’s pilfering outfits from set. ‘Some of those outfits we put them on and we’re like, “Yes I so want to steal this.” And then after being in them for an entire night shoot you’re like, “I never want to see that again”,’ she reveals.

One thing she is up for keeping though? That MaxMara suit. ‘This is something I’m going to wear forever and ever… except maybe not to a wedding!’ she laughs.

Gallery

SHOP: The Best Summer Co-Ords

summer co-ords1 of 22

Damson Madder, Maggie Flower Vase Scallop Blouse, £50

summer co-ords2 of 22

Damson Madder, Maggie Flower Vase Scallop Shorts, £45

summer co-ords3 of 22

Casa Raki, Greta scoop-neck organic-linen blouse, £185

summer co-ords4 of 22

Casa Raki, Natalia organic-linen wide-leg trousers, £220

summer co-ords5 of 22

Zara, Embroidered Leaf Print Shirt, £79.99

Summer co-ords6 of 22

Zara, Leaf Embroidery Trousers, £79.99

summer co-ords7 of 22

Arket, Slow Flowers Printed Resort Shirt, WAS £59 NOW £41

summer co-ord8 of 22

Arket, Printed Cotton Shorts, WAS £55 NOW £39

summer co-ords9 of 22

Asceno, Prague Organic Linen Shirt, £185

Asceno, Zurich Organic Linen Shorts, £15510 of 22

Asceno, Zurich Organic Linen Shorts, £155

summer co-ords11 of 22

Deji Studios, THE 03 SET White, £143

summer co-ords12 of 22

Mango, Seam Printed Dress, £49.99

summer co-ords13 of 22

Mango, Wide-Leg Printed Trousers, £39.99

summer co-ords14 of 22

Free People, Ain't Nothin' Like It Skort Set, £78

summer co-ords15 of 22

COS, Regular-Fit Pleated A-Line Skirt, £79

summer co-ords16 of 22

COS, Slim-fit Pleated Vest, WAS £55 NOW £33

summer co-ords17 of 22

Mango, Linen 100% shirt, £29.99

summer co-ords18 of 22

Mango, Linen-blend wrap skirt, £35.99

summer co-ords19 of 22

Arkitaip, Lolo Sleeveless Polo Top In Lavender, £125

summer co-ords20 of 22

Arkitaip, Clara Flared High-Rise Linen Trousers In Lavender, £165

Summer co-ords21 of 22

Djerf Avenue, Dream Skirt Pistachio, £89

Summer co-ords22 of 22

Djerf Avenue, Tie Top Long Sleeve Pistachio, £129

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