Italian luxury fashion brand Max Mara unveils its 2027 Resort Collection at the Long Museum in Shanghai on June 16, 2026. 

Italian luxury fashion brand Max Mara unveiled its 2027 Resort Collection at the Long Museum in Shanghai on June 16, followed by the opening of "THE MAX!", a special archive exhibition celebrating the brand's 75th anniversary, which runs from June 17 to 28.

Titled "Dynamic Elegance," the 2027 Resort Collection was presented under the grand dome of the Long Museum in Shanghai, redesigned into a vast warehouse-inspired setting. Shelves stacked with archival garments, accessories, fabrics, sketches, design documents, vintage posters, and original drawings created a living archive through which models wandered, blurring the line between runway and exhibition.

Drawing inspiration from Max Mara's rich heritage, the collection revived graphic motifs, including stripes and geometric cube patterns, energizing a palette of camel, cognac, khaki, champagne, black, white, and the house's iconic red. Unexpected touches of high-saturation colors and shimmering sequins added a contemporary edge.

The silhouettes retained Max Mara's hallmark precision and sophistication, relaxed coats exuded a carefree aura, while sharply tailored suits and fluid separates offered versatility. Slightly flared or tapered skirts, straight-leg trousers with flat fronts and side patch pockets paired with ankle-strap heels underscored the collection's balance of elegance and modernity.

The designs also incorporated subtle references to Chinese fashion traditions, such as elastic merino wool cheongsams, quilted silk ensembles, and crisp poplin shirts finished with traditional frog button closures.

A host of international and Chinese celebrities attended the show, including Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh, actresses Katie Holmes, Cecilia Yip, and Wan Qian, 2025 Max Mara Face of the Future® Award recipient Maude Apatow, Olympic champion Eileen Gu, and renowned, ballerina Tan Yuanyuan.

Curated by celebrated fashion historian Olivier Saillard, "THE MAX!" offers an immersive journey through 75 years of Max Mara's creative evolution. Inspired by the meticulous order of the Max Mara Library and Archive (Biblioteca e Archivio di Impresa, BAI), the exhibition recreates the atmosphere of an open archive, inviting visitors to explore the brand's enduring legacy through a contemporary lens.

Organized into nine thematic chapters, the exhibition traces Max Mara's story from the sewing school founded by Achille Maramotti's mother, Giulia Fontanesi Maramotti, to the brand's first workshop and its continuing pursuit of excellence in tailoring. From the iconic garments, archival materials and reflections on color aesthetics, the exhibition highlights the timeless values that have shaped the house across generations.

To mark its 75th anniversary, Max Mara has reissued three limited-edition classic coats, newly named Max Mara Meridian, Millenia, and Metric, each reinterpreting a celebrated design from the brand's archives. The Max Mara Meridian coat revisits a cape silhouette from 1994, while the Millenia coat derives inspiration from an iconic 1998 design. Metric offers a refined new take on the classic wrap coat introduced in 2015. Each coat comes with an individual number and features a custom label printed with the original design sketches. The corresponding original archival garments are displayed alongside them, creating an artistic dialogue between past and present that reflects Max Mara's enduring design philosophy.

 

Source:China Daily