MILAN, ITALY — Over the years, as Sportmax has established itself as a young-meets-cult phenomenon, it’s been difficult to put a finger on its aesthetic. The separates are typically spare and geometric, with a punkish edge, while the dresses tend toward gauzy details and a more uptown sensibility.
Now, for Spring/ Summer 2027, the label has introduced another note of lightness into the mix, and at first glance, the clothes seem to complicate the picture: Where do these minimal, relatively androgynous staples fit into the grand scheme of things?
Look a little closer, though, and this season’s worldview comes into focus. Simply put, Sportmax makes clothes – namely jewellery and bags – for urbane women with a romantic streak and a need for things that just plain work.
That romanticism revealed itself both in the collection’s subtle details—buttery nappa and suede worked into a stripped-back skirt, sleeveless jackets and coats with convertible panels that allow the body to breathe—and in its fabrications, including sheer chiffons, washed charmeuse, and handkerchief linen.
On the palette front, the opening looks channelled the pearlescent tones of light refracted through water, moving from soft greys to striking gem-toned gradients. Sheerness continued apace in silk organza, in écru, orange, and blush pink, layered to create subtly shifting gradients. Elsewhere, knits took on sleek, cut-out swimwear shapes, while textured ribbing introduced the idea of an after-work escape to the beach.
Also of note were the lucite accessories and gradients built from layers of translucent colour, reinforcing the collection’s study of freshness. That sense of lightness ran through every silhouette. The collection’s easy, mostly oversized shapes managed to feel both romantic and utilitarian. The make-it-work attitude came through in neat, breezy button-downs and soft trousers and culottes that read as mix-and-match wardrobe essentials for next spring.
Sportmax’s clothes have an overtly spare quality that makes them immediately appealing, much like its accessories. But look closer, and the winsome quality that has long been a trademark of the brand comes through and is ultimately what makes the collection memorable.
by Chidozie Obasi