Watching a collection by MaxMara come down the catwalk during Milan Fashion
Week is quite unlike viewing the designs of any other Italian brand.

The cult of the designer has become such an intrinsic part of fashion, that
it is hard to think of another label that can remain consistently at the top
of its game without a "name" behind it.

Yet MaxMara has survived for more than 50 years by bucking the designer
trend. Its collections rely not on one individual talent, but on a constant
flow of creativity which involves a whole host of fashion professionals,
largely unknown young designers in the studio, fabric researchers, pattern
cutters and accessory and production specialists.

This system of collaborative creativity has, from time to time, involved
input from designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, the late Franco Moschino, Dolce
& Gabbana and Narciso Rodriguez, but no individual has ever monopolised the
collections.

A passion for fashion has always marked this company out, beginning with
Marina Rinaldi, who ran a high-class dressmaking atelier in northern Italy
in the late 19th century.

It was she who inspired her great-grandson, Achille Maramotti, to launch the
MaxMara label in 1951 with just two designs: a camel-coloured overcoat and a
geranium-red suit. Elegant and well-tailored, they took the French style
that was fashionable at the time and reinvented it with Italian taste; the
results displayed all the characteristics of what was to become the MaxMara
signature, which is still instantly recognisable today.

In the Sixties, when the fashion focus shifted from mainland Europe to
London, Sportmax was created to appeal to the daughters of the MaxMara
generation. Now, there are at least 21 different collections produced within
the MaxMara Group including Weekend, Marella, Pennyblack and Max & Co, each
one targeted at different types of women.

Today, the MaxMara Group has 1,827 shops in 90 countries, including the
London flagship which opened last year in Old Bond Street. Over two floors,
the store houses the collections of both MaxMara and Sportmax, as well as
shoes, accessories, bags, hosiery, eyeglasses and the new fragrance and
bodycare lines.

It is also the setting for our first ever Daily Telegraph/MaxMara readers'
evening on April 25. The event will be repeated at the MaxMara Manchester
store on May 5.

The two exclusive shopping events will showcase the new collections, with
champagne and canaps, a 20 per cent discount on all purchases, and a prize
draw to win an outfit from the new MaxMara collection to the value of
1,000, a MaxMara handbag and a pair of MaxMara sunglasses.

In addition, all those attending the two events will be entered in the
Deluxe Draw to win a fabulous seven-night holiday for two in South Africa,
courtesy of Elegant Resorts. Guests will be asked to fill in an entry form
on the night, and the winning entry will be drawn following the Manchester
event.

The winners will enjoy four nights at the Cape Grace Hotel in Cape Town, one
of the world's most beautiful cities. They will then spend three nights, all
inclusive, at the 50,000-acre Kwandwe Ecca Safari Lodge.

Tickets to both events are limited and will be issued on a first-come,
first-served basis. I look forward to welcoming you to both events.

If you would like to attend the MaxMara reader evenings, simply send a
postcard, marked London or Manchester, with your full name and address, date
of birth and daytime telephone number to Telegraph/MaxMara Ticket Request,
PO Box 2248, Colchester CO2 8NQ.

You must indicate which event you would like to attend. Each ticket is valid
for two people and requests should be received no later than Wednesday,
April 20, 2005.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2005/04/11/efmax11.xml&sSheet=/fashion/2005/04/11/ixfashion.html