Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/715599
62 bostoncommon-magazine.com photography by Valery Katsuba (ballet dancers); Martine barrat (children); roxanne lowit (cleMente) While the company is known for keeping core customers happy with classic styles, Maria Giulia Maramotti, the granddaughter of the company's founder, has brought a discerning eye to her role as director of retail for North America. Overseeing and strategizing the retail business for their 17 stateside boutiques, Maramotti has to make sure the collections are relevant. "With every new collection, the classic style will always be present, but given the contempo- rary climate, our collections are becoming more experimental and playful, which reenergizes the brand," says Maramotti. "I like to think of Max Mara as a 'warm' brand—not a 'hot' brand—and I think this is what makes us so successful right now." Part of this "warming" trend includes the choice of Gigi Hadid as the face of Max Mara's latest accessories campaign, which introduced the JBag Shopper—a more contemporary bag than the elegant but structured Whitney bag, which debuted this spring on the first anniversary of New York City's new Whitney Museum—and one that skews slouchy, rich, and young. Between the reintroduction of the 101801 coat, an emblematic symbol of its heritage, and the introduction of the JBag with Gigi, represen- tative of their future, Max Mara organically continues to stay elegant but fresh. As Maramotti says, "For me, pairing the 101801 coat with tailored trousers and sneakers is a superchic and timeless look." A match made in Max! 69 Newbury St., 617-267-9775; maxmara.com . "Max Mara is a 'warM' brand—not a 'hot' brand. this is what Makes us so successful." —maria giulia maramotti Max Mara's much- coveted 101801 topcoat has continually inspired photographers. clockwise from here: Valery Katsuba's Bolshoi Ballet–themed series from 2011; Roxanne Lowit's portrait of Alba Clemente from the brand's archives; Steven Meisel's current campaign with Gigi Hadid; a shot from a 1994 series by Martine Barrat. style tastemaker