Kimono Style: Max Mara Pasticcino Bag Honours Japanese Traditions

In 2016, a new addition to the Weekend Max Mara bag lineup quickly gained a devoted following. The Pasticcino bag, whose name was inspired by a delicate Italian pastry, features a soft slouchy silhouette and a metal clasp that give the bag a sense of childhood wonder.

For Fall/Winter 2024, a special-edition collection is taking the iconic bag to Japan as a tribute to the country’s rich textile art tradition and craftsmanship.

The Pasticcino Bag Treasures of Japan collection celebrates some of the country’s most skilled textile artisans and its centuries-old kimono traditions. Similar to the kimonos, each bag’s creation begins with the fabric itself: in this case, a rich silk jacquard chosen from the historical archives of Kawashima Selkon Textiles, a venerable Kyoto-based fabric manufacturer established in 1843. The textiles, available in a palette of delicate pastels, gold, rust, and caramel, are a masterpiece in their own right, showcasing unique, intricate motifs.

Each bag design narrates a story: a pale pink floral pattern symbolizes fertility and life, a reimagined motif from 1905 alludes to the imperial era, while traditional designs of birds and floral bouquets evoke the artfully painted interior linings of ornate kimonos.