BIG NEW HOME: Max Mara has debuted a new store concept inspired by its storied headquarters with a new flagship in Munich — the brand’s second largest retail outpost after Paris’ Avenue Montaigne.
Covering 10,300 square feet, the space, designed by the Duccio Grassi Architects studio, draws from the Italian fashion group’s former headquarters in Reggio Emilia, Italy, unveiled in 1958 and currently home to the Collezione Maramotti art collection.
The Munich flagship reprises some of its key materials, including Venetian terrazzo for the flooring, blanc cassé plaster and white terracotta decorations for the walls, as well as wood and iron for furniture. The new blueprint is to be implemented across other locations globally.
The store is located at Theatinerstrasseand and replaces the brand’s previous units located on the same street in a much smaller building.
An imposing helicoidal staircase decked in copper connects the flagship’s three stories. On the ground floor, Max Mara’s handbags and accessories collections are displayed on wooden shelving, while the upper floors are dedicated to the ready-to-wear offering, showcased in floor-to-ceiling display modules, tables and vitrines crafted from wood and orange resin.
The store’s furniture is entirely by female designers and architects, from Gae Aulenti, whose Stringe sofas are arranged into living room-like corners, to Patricia Urquiola, as well as Linde Freyatangelder, Stine Gam and Eny Lee Parker.
The first floor is home to an eveningwear salon, with parquet flooring and textile-covered walls, as well as a corner dedicated to the group’s Sportmax brand, which boasts a cotto tile floor, black iron racks and a custom bench.
This year Max Mara marked its 75th anniversary, unveiling its resort 2027 collection in Shanghai last June, timed with the opening of the exhibition “The Max!” at that city’s Long Museum West Bund.
In addition to the namesake brand and Sportmax, parent company Max Mara Fashion Group includes Weekend Max Mara, Max&Co, Pennyblack, iBlues, Marella, Emme and Marina Rinaldi, to name a few.
In 2025 the group reported sales of 1.99 billion euros, with exports accounting for 56 percent of revenue. It counts around 6,000 employees worldwide and around 2,300 stores globally in more than 100 countries. The group is chaired by Luigi Maramotti, son of founder Achille Maramotti.