Max Mara heiress reflects on the evolution of the storied Italian brand

Maria Giulia Maramotti, granddaughter of founder Achille Maramotti, speaks to The National about the pressure of keeping the family business relevant

Global brand ambassador Maria Giulia Maramotti helps bridge generations to ensure Max Mara remains relevant to women today. Photo: Max Mara

When Achille Maramotti founded Max Mara in 1951, he envisioned dressing the “doctor’s wife”. He was referring to the middle-class population of Italy, women who wanted to pursue professional careers, but also remain elegant and feminine.

The brand became known for its sleek, clean lines, its power-dressing staples and, of course, its all-important coats, which, until today, have remained a signature creation.

Today, 73 years later, the brand is one of the few luxury houses that remains within its founding family, and Maria Giulia Maramotti, Achille’s granddaughter, is now a key figure in the vision and future of the company.

In her role as global brand ambassador, Maria, who is part of the third generation of Maramottis to be at the helm of the brand, is helping to drive the company forward, continuing the vision of her grandfather, but also acting as the bridge between generations to ensure the company remains relevant for women today.

“Seventy years go by, and we really, as a brand and as a company, have evolved with our women,” Maria tells Luxury during a recent interview at the brand’s Mall of the Emirates store.

“Lifestyle has changed; women have a more dynamic life, so there is more of a need to create garments that are in line with their lifestyle. More comfort, but being very true to our DNA of garment and pattern making.

"Very clean lines. That’s always been our style definition – Bauhaus, very architectural, very design-focused. There is an interesting blend between Italian garments and fabrics with these very architectural design lines.”

The brand has remained true to its aesthetic from the beginning, and today, a Max Mara piece is instantly recognisable, but the women wearing them have almost certainly evolved, with the younger generation looking for clothes that provide comfort, modesty and quality, rather than just following fads and trends.

“I have pieces that I bought when I was in my teens that are coming back, and I think we are going back to that concept of timelessness, but also to sustainability,” Maria explains of the younger generation’s approach to fashion.

“We have pieces that are our icons – the 101801 coat, which was conceived in 1981 – it’s more than 40 years old. The Teddy Bear coat which was conceived 10 years ago, but is still up and coming, in fact, even more trendy now.

"That idea of style, which is our style, obviously, now, maybe more than ever, is on trend. And this is how, as a brand, you stay relevant because you are able to capture the attention of a younger audience and become relevant for them.”

Maria joined the family company in 2008, focusing on the retail arm in Paris, before returning to Italy and progressing to the role she holds today. Her close affiliation with the brand, of course, carries a big responsibility, but Maria sees her family background as a benefit rather than a burden.

“I joined the company almost 17 years ago, so it’s been a big chunk of my life. Before that, I had a really strong connection with the brand and the company. The fact that we’re a family-owned business speaks a lot about the way we want to do things. We have our family values, like making things the right way, and a certain mentality.

"For me, it’s about being very true to what the family values are and the way we wanted things to be made. If I hadn’t been buying into that, I wouldn’t be here,” she explains.

Being an independent, family-owned business comes with its own challenges, especially in a landscape where almost all luxury brands are now part of larger groups, losing some of their independence in the process. But that has never been an option for Max Mara, which has remained true to its DNA.

“We did it our own way, and we will keep doing it our own way. Sometimes it can be easier to go in another direction, but you have to maintain your route,” explains Maria. “We have a drive to do things well, and that’s something that has been a driver.”

Today, the main challenge is remaining relevant and appealing to women all around the world. As Maria explains, the brand is driven by quality, the value of making things well and, an innate sense of style, embodied by its consumers.

While her grandfather passed away before Maria joined the company, he has had a strong impact on her life, her values and her career. “He taught us two things – the value of family and the family being part of the business. I learnt from him that there is an added value coming from the fact that you own your business as a family because you have your values as a family that transfer into the business.”

The Maramotti family have certainly remained true to their values, which is appreciated by the Max Mara women. “Today, everybody is doing a lot of things, and what I learnt from the previous generation is that we have our own way, which comes from our values, which comes from our tone of voice and that tone of voice, you can’t just copycat what everyone else is doing because otherwise there is no personality,” Maria says.

The brand is doing it its own way. Its family values can be felt throughout its stores with their relaxing wholesome atmosphere. In the Middle East, there is a lot of room for growth, with an expansion further into Saudi Arabia in the pipeline, as well as the launch of a Ramadan capsule collection last month, which Maria explains was a key moment for the brand.

“We have always considered ourselves an international brand, and so the fact that this region is becoming more relevant by the minute for us, it was really important to cater to women here by creating a specific collection which was inspired by modest fashion, but also interprets the characteristics of Max Mara.”

The collection features pieces that are derived from the Resort 24 collection, which is currently in stores. It includes long, flowy chemise dresses, as well as wide-leg trousers and long skirts in eye-catching floral prints and bold, bright solid hues – “all the pieces are obviously catered towards a style that is more in line with the region, but also represents very well the style of Max Mara”.

The collection has been created for the Middle East market, but there is also a selection of stores that carry it globally. In Dubai, its launch was accompanied by a pop-up store in the heart of Jumeirah.

“It came from a work of love for sure, which is what we do, but also being a brand that wanted to acknowledge the fact that we are inclusive and that we want to speak to different women across the globe, and to be relevant across the globe, you have to look at their different ways of living,” explains Maria.

The Max Mara Ramadan capsule collection launched last month in Dubai and is available in stores across the UAE as well as at maxmara.ae