Weekend Max Mara Brings a Special Edition of Its Signature Pasticcino Bag to Kyoto
MILAN — Weekend Max Mara’s roving project dedicated to its signature Pasticcino bag has landed in Japan, the third destination of its World Tour.
Under the moniker “Treasures of Japan,” the brand is launching special-edition iterations of the pouch bag crafted from about 1,200 meters of silk jacquards drawn from the storied archives of the Kawashima Selkon Textiles fabric maker.
More from WWD
Marina Rinaldi Teams With Sara Battaglia on See Now, Buy Now Capsule Collection
The 10 Best Floral Designer Bags to Invest in This Summer for Timeless Style
Max Mara Resort 2025 Show's Location Revealed - and It Doesn't Get More Venetian Than This
The project aims to support artisanal excellence and crafting traditions. Kawashima was established in Kyoto in 1843 and is regarded as one of Japan’s finest weavers, having supplied textiles to the Meiji Palace in the past, as well as to the Kyoto State Guest House. The textile atelier currently creates obis, formalwear and luxurious interior fabrics and runs a school and museum to help preserve storied weaving techniques.
Available in six variants and two sizes, the Pasticcino bags bear different patterns, from a pink floral motif nodding to fertility to a revisited 1905 imperial pattern with floral fabric featuring bouquets of peonies, roses and buttercups.
All designs are done in painterly pastel nuances matching the bag’s lining and clasp. In keeping with the project’s ethos, the latter, a boule-shaped closure, is the result of another linkup with local craftspeople.
Weekend Max Mara asked Bottega Nakamori-Kumihimo — a workshop established in 1927 specialized in the handicraft of obijime and haori cords — to reimagine the boule clasps, wrapping them in precious threads in contrasting colors. Bottega Nakamori-Kumihimo is part of the “Ando Corporation,” which groups craftspeople from across disciplines.
Hitting retail in June, the Pasticcino bags, part of the Treasures of Japan collection, are priced between $865 and $1,025.
A dedicated campaign shot by photographer Marco Imperatore is fronted by influencer twins Ami and Aya Suzuki, known professionally as Amiaya, who made waves in the fashion community for their matching, colorful kawaii style.
Marking the launch of the Pasticcino Bag World Tour’s third leg, which follows previous iterations in Venice and Paris, Weekend Max Mara hosted a two-day event in Kyoto. Comprising a bespoke city tour to discover the city’s landmarks as well as its traditional crafts, the event culminated with a dinner on Wednesday night at the Chishakuin Temple, a Buddhist training, devotion and community center, hosted by Nicola Gerber Maramotti, Max Mara’s consumer channel director.
Named after the Italian word for “small pastry,” the Pasticcino pouch was first introduced in 2016.
Weekend Max Mara was launched in 1983 as a casual collection well suited to traveling and it has evolved into a comprehensive line of ready-to-wear and accessories. Recently, it has orchestrated seasonal tie-ups with fashion designers and personalities including American actress Lucy Hale, designer Arthur Arbesser, British stylist Kate Phelan, Lily Aldridge, architect and designer Patricia Urquiola, New York-based stylist and editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, among others.
The brand is available in about 250 monobrand stores and department stores globally.
Best of WWD
