Luxury house MAX MARA presented its Resort 2023 Collection, back in June, at the lush gardens of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon. The collection titled Vai lenço feliz, that sends the powerful message of passion, pays tribute to Portuguese culture, from the haunting melodies of fado to the Lenços de namorados do Minho (the romantic tradition “handkerchiefs of lovers”). Poet Natália Correia was the muse of the collection, her unconventional femininity is reflected in seductive sheath dresses. Correia was at the heart of Portuguese cultural life in the 1970’s and ’80’s. Max Mara also recalls and reimagines the look of famous fado singer Amália Rodrigues, at whose performances Correia was a regular. For the season, designer Ian Griffiths brings voluptuous silhouettes and gathered skirts with dramatic volumes. The bold and sensual femininity of the collection is highlighted with colours such as paprika red, violet iris, mustard yellow, marine blue, and earthy green.
The gifted young fado singer Carminho, who walked the Max Mara Resort 2023 runway, stars in editorial session captured in Lisbon, by celebrity photographer German Larkin. Fashion photographer Jason Schmidt captured the story featuring key looks from the collection inside the Gulbenkian Museum.
