The camel coat has become synonymous with the Max Mara brand over the past 37 years and is a bestselling style and a true fashion icon. We take a look at the need-to-know facts and top statistics about this elegant design
It was first conceived in 1981
The first Max Mara camel coat came to life in 1981. Designed by French couturier Anne-Marie Beretta, the 101801 wool and cashmere blend coat was designed to be minimal yet elegant and to stand the test of time. The double-breasted style with a masculine edge and oversized silhouette is a design classic that comes back year after year.
The original 101801 style is still on sale today
Luckily Beretta’s idea of timeless style paid off, and her original design can still be purchased from Max Mara today. It is officially the brand’s bestselling item ever. There are thousands of the brand’s 101801 coats in circulation across the globe today, with many of them being worn by a second or third generation; this is a coat built to last.
It takes 168 minutes to put the coat together
From start to finish in Max Mara’s Italian factory, the 101801 takes 168 minutes to put together ‒ in a sequence of 73 individual operations. From laser cutting the pieces to the final hand-sewn details and fluffing and pressing the coats ready for sale, each element is overseen by a member of the Max Mara team.
It is available in five colours
Although the camel style may be the most classic, the 101801 coat is available in a variety of different colours. Each year the design team brings in new shades to match the seasonal palette, adding to five evergreen colours; camel, black, navy, grey and ice white.
It has starred in some of the brand’s most renowned campaigns
Throughout the years the 101801 has had a part in creating some of the most recognisable fashion images of all time, from Steven Meisel’s photographs in the 1990s to American artist William Wegman’s series Dogs in Coats, featuring a grey Weimaraner in the soft cashmere design. Many of these images, alongside the coats themselves, have featured in Max Mara’s Coats! exhibition, which has so far toured Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Berlin and Moscow.
It has a celebrity following
It is hard to count the number of celebrity fans of Max Mara’s coats. From style mavens such as Carine Roitfeld to superstars including Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian, and from the Duchess of Cambridge to Angelina Jolie, the 101801’s famous following is vast and varied. This coat is certainly one item stars don’t mind being photographed in again and again.
In 2013 the 101801 gained an equally stylish sibling
Although the 101801 remains at the top of the Max Mara tree, in 2013 the brand introduced the Teddy Bear coat. Inspired by archival designs from the 1980s, the warm and fuzzy design uses a plush pile fabric originally designed for children’s toys and revived by the Max Mara team in a luxurious silk and camel blend. Gaining in popularity in recent years, the Teddy Bear coat is set to be as much of a classic design as its predecessor.
Max Mara 101801 Icon coat, €1,800
Max Mara Teddy Bear Icon coat, €1,600
