From camel coats to guochao: Max Mara woos China’s luxury brand consumers

Max Mara marked its 75th anniversary with a runway show in Shanghai, a city British designer Ian Griffiths described as one that "doesn’t even sit down." The event aimed to celebrate the brand's connection to metropolitan women and integrate Chinese aesthetic codes into its designs.

Knotted silk pankou buttons, cheongsam-inspired dresses, and jackets with standing collars were translated into Max Mara's signature style. Griffiths emphasized the importance of extensive consultations to ensure these tributes to cultural heritage were respectful and avoided cliché or appropriation. "We know that it isn’t good enough just to say that we didn’t intend to cause offence," he stated, hoping the homages would be viewed within the context of Max Mara's long-standing relationship with China.

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New York may be the city that never sleeps, but Shanghai doesn’t even sit down.

As one of the first Western brands to establish a significant presence in China, with 33 years of operation and 27 boutiques in Shanghai alone, Max Mara has become associated with social status and professional success among Chinese women. This strategic approach comes as European luxury brands intensify their efforts to engage Chinese consumers, who account for roughly a quarter of global luxury spending.

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Max Mara is a product for metropolitan women, and it would be patronising to assume that a metropolitan wardrobe should be western-centric.

The era where Chinese consumers passively accepted Western luxury is over. Brands perceived as merely exploiting the market find themselves out of favor. The show featured an almost exclusively local cast of models, underscoring a significant trend in Chinese fashion: 'guochao,' or the 'national wave.' This movement signifies a fashion-forward embrace of consumerism tied to cultural identity, mirroring a global Gen Z instinct to center their own experiences.

Max Mara seeks to align itself with the spirit of self-confidence central to guochao and Chinese female ambition. Olympic skier Eileen Gu graced the front row. The traditional cheongsam was reinterpreted with minimalist detailing, using pale stretch wool instead of floral silk, offering a sophisticated take on the office staple. The brand also recently provided wardrobing for a Chinese production of "Prima Facie," linking its visual language to the play's exploration of gender and empowerment.

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We know that it isn’t good enough just to say that we didn’t intend to cause offence, so we had lots of conversations and consultations in advance about the designs.