Max Mara is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1951 by Achille Maramotti in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The company remains privately held by the Maramotti family, making it one of the largest family-owned fashion companies in the world. Max Mara was one of the first Italian fashion houses to produce luxury ready-to-wear clothing on an industrial scale, combining the quality of atelier-made garments with the accessibility of standardized manufacturing.
The brand is particularly recognized for its outerwear, especially coats. The 101801 coat, a minimalist double-breasted camel coat introduced in 1981, has become one of the most iconic coat designs in modern fashion and remains a bestselling product. Max Mara's design approach emphasizes clean lines, expert tailoring, and investment-quality materials, with a focus on camel hair, cashmere, wool, and premium fabrics sourced from Italian mills.
Max Mara's product range includes women's ready-to-wear, outerwear, handbags, shoes, and accessories. The company operates multiple brand lines including Max Mara (the mainline), Sportmax (a contemporary fashion line), Weekend Max Mara (a more casual offering), and S Max Mara. The mainline and Sportmax represent the luxury tiers of the portfolio. Max Mara does not have a single named creative director; instead, the company employs a design collective approach, though it has collaborated with guest designers including Karl Lagerfeld and Ian Griffiths, who serves as creative director.
Max Mara operates over 400 stores worldwide, with flagships in Milan, New York, London, Paris, and Tokyo. The company sells through its own e-commerce platform and select luxury retailers. Manufacturing is primarily based in Italy across multiple production facilities owned by the group.