There’s nowhere that quite measures up to Venice. Just ask Henry James, Patricia Highsmith, or any of the writers who have set stories there. Today, Max Mara told its own Venetian tale, taking guests to the Floating City for its latest resort outing. Specifically, to Palazzo Ducale, or the Doge’s Palace, now a museum and one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
But first, attendees got a crash course in Venetian history. The welcome dinner for the event was held at Palazzo Pisani Moretta, a Gothic building overlooking the Grand Canal that has undergone as many transformations as the city itself. When it was taken over and renovated by the Pisani family, Baroque artists including Tiepolo and Angeli were commissioned to contribute decorative interior painting, making the space a piece of art history as well as one of architectural significance.
For today’s runway show at Palazzo Ducale, overlooking Piazza San Marco, Brie Larson and Yara Shahidi were among those taking in the scene. The building’s Gothic columns and arches formed the perfect backdrop to the fashion on display. And as he did with his Scandinavian extravaganza last year, creative director Ian Griffiths dug deep into the destination’s history, coming up with a rarely-cited fashion inspiration: Marco Polo, who was a Venetian merchant before he was an explorer. (And, it turns out, somewhat of a proto-feminist.)
His travels inspired a collection that drew on everything from his adventures on the Silk Road, as shown in an array of silks, to the camel and cashmere of Mongolia, where he spent two decades in the court of Kublai Khan.
Given that Venice became a hotbed of trade and a nexus between East and West in Marco Polo’s era, the pieces nodded to everything from the city’s traditional Gothic architecture to Hindu, Zoroastrian, and Chinese motifs. A collaboration with the British milliner Stephen Jones on turban-style headwear was another highlight.
Though Griffiths drew on far-flung destinations, Max Mara loyalists will appreciate the presence of house signatures like the Teddy Bear coat and a familiar neutral palette. These are clothes that would be welcome in the wardrobe of any world traveler.
All of the Looks from Max Mara Resort 2025
