Max Mara is stepping into the fragrance world, and it is doing it with Florence Pugh front and centre.
The Italian fashion house has unveiled Max Mara Le Parfum, its first fragrance created with Japanese beauty giant Shiseido. The launch comes as Max Mara celebrates its 75th anniversary, making the timing feel especially significant.
Florence Pugh has been chosen as the face of the new scent, bringing her easy confidence and modern edge to the campaign. Max Mara has described the actress as a natural fit for the brand, with her strong sense of individuality lining up neatly with the house’s understated approach to luxury.
A Fragrance Inspired by Max Mara’s Most Famous Coat
The idea behind Le Parfum is closely tied to one of Max Mara’s most recognisable designs .. the 101801 coat, first introduced in 1981.
Much like the coat, the fragrance is meant to feel warm, enveloping and almost like a second skin. Even the bottle picks up on that connection, with a camel-toned band around the centre and a button-inspired cap with gold detailing. The scent itself leans floral, creamy and woody.
Created by perfumers Marie Salamagne and Fabrice Pellegrin, Le Parfum combines tuberose with vanilla, sandalwood, cedarwood and benzoin. The result is designed to capture the same sense of quiet confidence and comfort that has long been associated with Max Mara’s fashion.
Florence Pugh Brings the Max Mara Woman to Life
Pugh’s presence gives the launch a little more personality than the usual celebrity fragrance campaign.
The actress has spoken about fragrance as something deeply personal rather than simply a way of making an entrance. That idea fits well with Max Mara’s understated identity : polished, confident and never trying too hard.
Le Parfum is also the first major release to come from the long-term fragrance partnership Max Mara and Shiseido announced in 2024. Under the agreement, Shiseido is responsible for developing, producing and distributing Max Mara fragrances worldwide.
The fragrance is set to launch on August 24, 2026, with distribution across the US and Europe before expanding more widely. It will be available in 35ml, 50ml and 100ml sizes, with a refillable bottle design.
For a house best known for beautifully cut coats and restrained Italian elegance, perfume feels like a natural next step. And with Florence Pugh leading the campaign, Max Mara’s first move into fragrance arrives with exactly the right amount of star power.