From his minimalist mastery to shaping Max Mara’s iconic aesthetic, here are 10 insights into Ian Griffiths, the creative force behind the brand’s timeless sophistication. Quietly revolutionary yet classically enduring, Griffiths has created many iconic pieces like the 2019 teddy bear coat, proving timeless pieces can still make a splash in the contemporary era, Chloe Wong reports
1. Longevity at Max Mara
Ian Griffiths joined Max Mara in 1987 and became Creative Director in 2016, making him one of the few designers with such enduring ties to a single brand. His deep understanding of the house’s values—timeless elegance, outstanding fabrics, and wearability—has kept Max Mara relevant for decades. He continues on the legacy of Max Mara, presenting new experiences of female empowerment with each collection.
2. Master of the coat
Griffiths is celebrated for perfecting Max Mara’s iconic coats, particularly the 101801 camel coat, originally designed by Anne-Marie Beretta in 1981. Under his direction, the coat has been reimagined in new fabrics, colors, and proportions, re-imagined as oversized, cropped, or belted. His coats are investment pieces, often seen on fashion editors and celebrities like Gigi Hadid. It is not a simple clothing piece, but a house that protects, comforts, and elevates.
3. Pulling from historical inspirations
Griffiths’s collections frequently draw from literature, art, and history—such as Fall 2021’s Bloomsbury Group homage, featuring painterly prints and relaxed silhouettes inspired by Virginia Woolf’s circle. Griffiths says he enjoys looking back on archival looks for inspiration but doesn’t want to bore with a self-referential cycle, thus he looks to influence elsewhere. He creates narratives that drive his collections, visualising each collection as a chapter in the Max Mara story.
4. Feminist design philosophy
Griffiths has always spoken out about his design motivations and ideals, designing something a person could and would wear. He designs for real women, prioritising comfort, confidence, and versatility over fleeting trends. His power suits oversized. blazers, and fluid dresses cater to professionals, mothers, and creatives alike. As Griffiths once said, “Fashion should empower, not restrict.”.
5. Loved by royals and celebrities alike
Max Mara under Griffiths is a red-carpet and off-duty staple, worn by Meghan Markle, who famously wore a classic Max Mara coat during her Australia tour. Jennifer Lopez and Kate Middleton was also spotted in Max Mara, preferring understated sophistication over flashiness. A seemingly simple coat, on closer inspection reveals impeccable quality with cashmere and sleek, timeless tailoring.
6. Their sustainable and ethical approach
Griffiths has integrated sustainability into Max Mara’s ethos, using eco-friendly wool, cashmere, and recycled fabrics without compromising luxury. Max Mara makes the most of every material and fabric involved in the production process, while also focusing on the timelessness of their iconic designs. They even partnered with One Warm Coat to provide free coats to children and adults in need across North America, reducing waste and extending generosity.
7. Collaborations & special projects
Griffiths strongly believes in collaboration ps as a new way of thinking and approaching fashion, lending to his creative discoveries and executions. In 2016, he collaborated with Chinese artist Liu Wei for the Monopolis collection, featuring Liu Wei’s gigantic cultural rendition of a dystopian Shanghai city, blending models into urban backdrops.
8. He started out with architecture
Griffiths often cites architecture as inspiration, initially studying architecture in Manchester before pursuing fashion. He is particularly interested in modernist and brutalist designs, visible in his structured yet fluid silhouettes. The brand’s collaboration with the Renzo Piano Building Workshop resulted in the Whitney bag, its architectural influences evident in the clean-lined design, fusing craftsmanship and modernity.
9. His first ever coat
Griffiths created his first ever prototype coat when he joined Max Mara. In an interview with Royal College of Art, he revealed that the coat was given to his mother and is still in her wardrobe. He believes clothes that age gracefully are the most precious, those that form an emotional relationship with the wearer. This explains Max Mara’s philosophy of focusing in quality and durability to allow customers to wear their signature Max Mara pieces for years to last.
10. The Max Mara women
To Griffiths, The Max Mara woman is at the core of the brand, its identity, its muse, and its purpose. The Max Mara women can be spotted anywhere in the world – usually in a city – whether or not she is wearing something from the label at the time.
“It’s her attitude, her style, her dress,” he says. Understated, but still wants to turn heads. This bodes well with Max Mara’s fashion philosophy of the timeless elegance seen in his creations.
