, Ian Griffiths always manages to find new things to say at Max Mara — or to leave unsaid. This season he put the brand’s signature camel shade on the back burner and let a host of dark blues, grays and black cast a spell of soigné sobriety.
Griffiths cast a clutch of veteran models, including Guinevere van Seenus, Gemma Ward and Natasha Poly, to underscore the latter quality. “There’s something cool about a woman who knows herself,” he mused. To wit: The designer coaxed a Belle Époque allure via full, kimono-like sleeves, blousing backs and low buttoning stances on coats; with tie-waists on pants and wrap skirts, and with utility pockets and funneling necklines on tunics. There was also a low-key sensuality that came through in his tight turtlenecks, lingerie-style rompers, and the thin, obi-like belts defining waists.