Max Mara's collection dominated by neutrals

By Parvathi Nayar Narayan

JAKARTA (JP): The Max Mara group is a leading player in the Italian pret-a-porter world. From the first collection presented in 1951, the clothes have had a trademark style of clean, minimalist lines and cuts. It has grown and adapted, starting with reinterpreting French design using Italian creativity, to creating a Max Mara style by the end of the sixties with inputs from designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Emmanuelle Kahn. Its "made in Italy" style developed from the seventies proposes perfectly cut garments for the working woman.

Max Mara is now pursuing the foreign market, with a chain of retail outlets in about 17 countries. In Jakarta itself, the second Max Mara boutique opened at Plaza Senayan in December 1995.

Max Mara presented its Spring/Summer 1996 Collection at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta on Tuesday, a show dominated by neutrals in slim chic lines, and, barring a few pastels, a complete absence of color. It was a mixture of clothes selected from the seven lines carried by Max Mara.

The pastels, in flowing chiffons, were from the Sportmax label. Pretty in pink -- pink chiffon with a pale yellow floral print as a sassy shift dress with a large inverted box pleat in front, or as a short, short pleated skirt with a long jacket in solid pink. In flowing silhouettes such as these, the layered or lined chiffon look was effective, but less so where the cut was severe, as in a pale green form-hugging sheath dress.

The more casual look of the Sportmax line was seen in skirts, shorts and tops made of stretchy fabric. At first glance much of the fabric seemed white, but a second look revealed them as being in almost-white tones, such as white with a dash of aqua.

There was however a strong black and white motif in evidence. A subtle black and white checked weave, a perennial favorite, made up into a smart tailored skirt suit or slim hip-hugging trousers with zippered pockets. Zips were used as an accent in the suits without being too obvious, striking a subtly modern note.

From the recent revival of the Jackie Onassis chic and the sixties look, Max Mara has borrowed the short cropped jacket sporting elbow length sleeves. These were in a variety of neutrals, in beige fabrics with a subtle weave or in clean, cool white. The line is very young looking, deceptively simple and natural -- no padded shoulders here.

The slim, slinky trouser suits in navy and black seemed to epitomize the nature of the clothes on show, as being versatile, smart, mix-and-match coordinates useful for any wardrobe. That these can be turned into an outfit was demonstrated too -- a cropped black jacket with white pockets and lapels worn over a white blouse and black trousers. It was no longer a collection of restrained coordinates but a bold and eye-catching outfit.

Detailing on the garments consisted of the distinctive Max Mara trademark -- subtle overstitching on the seams, emphasizing the shaped cut of the dress or jacket. There was some saddle stitching on lapels and pockets, more striking when it was white on black rather than the reverse.

Clothes for the dressier occasion were from Max Mara's specialized evening wear line, Pianoforte. Again, these were entirely in neutrals.

Yolanda S. Janssens, brand manager for Max Mara, explains that the neutrals fare far better than brighter colors in Jakarta. They are very popular as reasonably priced, elegant evening wear.

Especially, she adds, by those who do not wish to be seen in the same evening dress too often and would therefore like to invest in a quality line that is affordable.

In Indonesia, Max Mara has hitherto been catering to women over 25, but this season's collection aims to attract a younger segment of the market.

In the evening wear collection were more lined chiffons in a strong motif of cream tulip on navy. The lines were simple and the fabric was often luxurious and flowing, as in a smart trouser and tunic outfit in basic black, a band of inverted tucks at the neck and hem emphasizing the sleeveless top. The show stopper was undoubtedly a satiny cream trouser ensemble -- wide trousers and mid-riff baring tank top teamed with a gauzy sequined overcoat in the same tones. Subdued shimmer that made for a really memorable outfit.

The focus of the clothes was on proportions, and on simple clean lines. With reduced shoulders, a narrow belted look and higher hemlines for skirts, the emphasis was on a practical yet trendy wardrobe. The shaped jackets, narrow trousers and slim skirts of the collection also celebrated a slender silhouette; appropriately, it seemed very Southeast Asian in flavor.

The Max Mara show was just one in the ongoing Grand Hyatt Fashion Series '96. Future shows promise to feature top names like Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani and Gucci.