Max Mara: Teddy turns ten

It’s been a decade since the Max Mara Teddy Bear Coat became the bear most beloved by well dressed women everywhere. The maison celebrates the anniversary with new items and a campaign

For the 10th Anniversary of the Teddy Bear Coat, Max Mara will also present product designed exclusively for this special occasion with key stores in 10 cities worldwide. The anniversary items include a new Sparkling Teddy Coat in camel color or white. Little fashionistas will be able to match their mums too as there will be the Mini Teddy Coat for girls aged 5-12 with matching must-have accessories from adorable mittens and ear muffs to fluffy hats with teddy bear ears.

There is also a dedicated advertising campaign shot by Tyler Mitchell. It features Italian model and actress Mariacarla Boscono wearing the iconic coat.

“Every few years we feel the need to present a collection that is just about Max Mara, our brand values and our unique history,” says Ian Griffiths, Max Mara’s creative director. He rediscovered the rich ‘Teddy Bear’ coats that the brand made in the 80’s using plush long pile fabrics in noble fibres, which were initially developed in German mills for high-end children’s toys. He found that not only were those fabrics no longer made, but the mills had all closed down and much of the know-how had been lost.

Thus, a journey to bring back this lost art began. The Max Mara team worked with an Italian supplier to redevelop the technology to produce a unique faux fur of pure camel hair on a base of silk. The resulting plush, camel, faux-fur, cocoon-cut cover-up made its catwalk debut in 2013 and the rest is history.

The Max Mara Teddy Bear Coat has covered well-dressed women everywhere with its fuzzy embrace, be it on the red carpet, runway or the streets.

Also see: Max Mara: Hyoyeon and Anson Lo help launch the Teddy Ten Pop-up Store