Max Mara’s Spring Summer 2026 collection, titled Rococo Modern, explores the tension between restraint and extravagance, delivering a wardrobe that blends historical references with contemporary tailoring.
Presented in Milan, the collection takes inspiration from Madame de Pompadour and the wider Rococo movement, balancing elegance with an edge of wit and rebellion.
The line opens with a study of contrasts: a precisely constructed trench coat is offset by a folded corona at the shoulders, evoking the plumage of exotic birds. Similarly, a disciplined pencil skirt is interrupted by a gauzy crest at the hip, while an organza piece built from hundreds of cut and folded fragments resembles petals or fronds. The palette leans towards subtle tones, echoing the ethereal shades associated with Rococo.
The collection is not all fantasy. Utility emerges through black elastic belts, harness-style straps and a selection of accessories that provide structure. Tailored jackets and low-slung trousers serve as the grounding elements, reinforcing the contemporary relevance of the collection. The outcome is an equilibrium between whimsy and modern discipline.
Rococo, as described by author Novala Takemoto, prizes “elegance, sweet emotions, and fantasy more than morals and truth,” and celebrates “ultimate individualism.” For Max Mara, Rococo is not a relic but a sensibility that resonates with the spirit of punk rock and anarchism. It becomes a lens through which to consider both past and present.
Madame de Pompadour, the collection’s central muse, embodied this philosophy. Rising without aristocratic birth, she built influence through talent, intellect and cultural patronage. She supported artists such as Watteau and Boucher, co-founded the Sèvres porcelain factory, and engaged in philosophical exchanges with Voltaire and Montesquieu. She also advocated for Diderot’s Encyclopédie, aligning herself with Enlightenment ideals. Her independent spirit and cultivated tastes make her a fitting figure within Max Mara’s tradition of celebrating formidable women.
The Rococo emphasis on asymmetry and nature surfaces in the detailing. Prints inspired by eighteenth-century cabinets of curiosities depict flora and fauna of land, sea and air, layered delicately in organza. The collection finds strength in lightness, elegance in play, and modernity in historical reference.
