You go, empowered woman!

It was a quirky black blouse with asymmetrical sleeves made from scarves that made me fall in love with Max Mara, long before the brand even had a store in the Philippines.

Max Mara was one of my fave stores near Canton Road in Hong Kong, just across the Marco Polo Hotel, pre-pandemic. I haven’t been to Hong Kong since then, but I run to Greenbelt 4 in Makati now to check on its latest wares. One of my finds is a small black bag looking like a mini makeup kit, but big enough to hold essentials. Not for a vanity reason, but I do admit I fancy it also because of the MM initials on each of its zipper edges.It has that personalized vibe.

When Max Mara Greenbelt opened in 2022, I was pleasantly suprised to find out it was brought here by Marilou Peña-Koa, a fashionable friend I consider as one of Manila’s most beautiful women. After an economics/business degree from the University of Toronto, Alou ventured into luxe retail, mainly Escada and Van Laack. Her husband, Johnlu Koa, is also a dear enterprising friend I admire and not only because he has made good croissants affordable to Pinoys with his French Baker, which now has almost a hundred branches, thanks to the encouragement of the late Tatang, Henry Sy, Sr. who believed in his Paris-inspired vision. Johnlu is also a devoted and supportive husband, always present in Alou’s events.

Such as the one held last week where Max Mara launched its support for U-Go, attended by director Mariana Zobel (another achiever I admire but that calls for another story) and board member Ari Kader Cu, a digital media maven whose vision she has brought with her from California to Ateneo.

U-Go offers grants to hire women in challenged circumstances and helps them finish four years of education and find good jobs as well. It has partnered with Ayala Foundation.

“We want our U-Go women to wear Max Mara,” smiled Zobel as she explained that she likes collaborating with such a fantastic female-led brand.

“If you empower a woman, it has a multiplier effect on her family, her community and, eventually, on the economy,” Zobel said during the event.

Max Mara is a brand that historically was inspired by women achievers. It was founded in 1951 by law graduate Achille Maramotti whose great grandmother was Marina Rinaldi, a brand I am familiar with because it was one of the faves of the late Nedy Tantoco who made it available at Rustan’s. Achille’s mother had a sewing school, and his vision was to modernize and, at the same time, use his family’s legacy of craftsmanship to build Max Mara which is now acclaimed as the biggest clothing company in Italy. One of his staples was (and still is) the high-end camel coat.