Phantasie, the new Weekend Max Mara Signature Collection for Spring Summer 2024, is an ode to fantasy, imagination, and Vienna by multi-faceted designer Arthur Arbesser. Born and raised in the Austrian capital, Arbesser was deeply immersed in the city’s culture, regularly attending theatre performances, ballet, and opera. Already as a child, he was intrigued by the power of each character and their costumes. Today his creativity fans out into diverse areas: fashion, costume, interiors, and design.

Vienna and ballet kindled Arbesser’s inspiration for this collection: the Secession art movement of the early 1900s with its winds of change and the freedom of movement typical of dance clothes that underscores a sense of liberty, and comfort in full compliance with the Weekend Max Mara values.

“Vienna has an extremely strong influence on me: a certain severity, clear, precise lines and a kind of discipline that is mixed with something softer and lighter,” says Arbesser. “The idea was to give full blossom to this unique legacy in the Weekend Max Mara Signature project.”

Chic and self-confident, glam but casual, feminine, and fun – this is the woman Arbesser imagines. The spotlight shines on fluid or deconstructed silhouettes. Buoyant prints play a lead role, especially the bright and bold motifs that replicate an oil painting by Arbesser. Checks and stripes nod to Viennese modernism and lively tiles, at times enriched with lace inserts for a patchwork effect. Dresses and skirts are full, fun, and flouncy while athleisure pieces channel that typical after-rehearsal nonchalance elevated by a luxe feel. Conversely, solid or striped jackets, shirts, and pants draw from the world of uniforms and workwear. Ditto for a trench coat with a utility-inspired canvas collar.