Max Mara‘s best-selling coat, that was originally made in 1981, was reimagined and redesigned with inspiration from Yasuhiro Ishimoto’s photographs of the Katsura Imperial Villa. For the Max Mara Pre-Fall 2018 collection, designer Ian Griffiths re-imagined versions included a cropped blouson, a belted redingote, and an A-line trapeze, all of them in superfine brushed cashmere wool and classic shades of navy, camel, and charcoal with nothing in the way of superfluous details.

Fans of the Italian fashion house immediately recognize —double-breasted, crafted from soft cashmere, and rendered in an oversized fit—as the cornerstone of Max Mara.

For a whimsical flourish, Griffiths also added cascading vertical ruffles to silk dresses and skirts and included a navy knit embroidered with the classic Max Mara logo. It appears on an intarsia crewneck, as well as on a lean wool skirt and full trousers.

Griffiths’ Pre-Fall collection featured a mannish suit, a selection of streamlined all-in-ones and apron dresses, and, for a touch of whimsy, silk ruffles on everything from an evening tee to a maxi skirt.