Tomorrow onsite we have Max Studio, the designer brand founded in 1979 by Leon Max. Now a global corporation producing cutting-edge fashion for the modern woman, the brand offers the best quality fabrics sourced from around the world, combined with innovative styles and designs for the fashion-forward women of today. Focusing on head-turning shapes and silhouettes, Max Studio creates distinguished looks for every occasion and you will not be disappointed by the garments we have on offer tomorrow, all at up to 60% off. We caught up with the designer, Leon Max to ask him a few questions about his gorgeous womenswear brand and take a sneak peek into his sale tomorrow.

How did you begin designing?

I got a start in the costumes department of the Kirov Ballet Theatre in St. Petersburg where I was born. Later after moving to New York, I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology.

What attracted you to the fashion world? 

I love creating beautiful things. There is an element of craft to Fashion that is often missing in Fine Arts. It is not just about abstract ideas it is about cultural context and human nature. It is also quick to realize and admire and just as quick to get bored with and to discard.

Why did you choose to have an eponymous label? 

As my last name is Max, I was not clever enough to come up with a more imaginative name! I’ve recently launched a more high-end diffusion line called ‘Leon Max’ .

Is there a signature style in your designs? 

Yes, there is definitely a Eurocentric sensibility. I respect tradition and I tend to bend rather than to break the rules. I also aim to offer well crafted components with which one can express their own fashion sensibilities.

What inspires you when you are designing?

The women of London. The women of Hollywood. My country house in England, all the beautiful antiques and pictures with their faded elegance and the beautifully laid out vistas.

How would you define a good outfit or dress? 

When you feel like a duchess in it but could also go to a local pub and not feel overdressed.

What are your favourite colours?

It is not as much about colours as it is about colour combinations but my favourites are black in the city and loden (greyish-green) in the country.

What absorbs your attention when you are not focused on designing clothes?

I love culture and current events, history, art architecture and applied aesthetics of any kind. Politics and economics are of particular interest, I am fascinated how prosperity can be created with good governance and how wrong headed dogmatism can impoverish people.

Does your personal history affect the designs that you come up with?

I am sure it does. We all carry a bank of imagery in our memory. The design process is about making  many choices every day. Why is this beautiful and that is ugly? Why is this desirable and that repugnant? We all dip into our memory banks and make associations to get to the answer.

What’s your pet peeve?

Mediocre people that concentrate on self promotion tend to reap higher rewards than brilliant people that toil in obscurity.

Has it been a tough road from the kitchen table where your business began to where you are now, or has the journey been smooth all the way?

As in any business there is a learning curve so it was not always smooth in the beginning but I have largely stuck by my own beliefs.

Where do you source your fabrics from?

Most of the textiles are commissioned by us and there is a group of very creative textile designers around the world that collaborate with me on prints, treatments and knitwear development.

Don’t miss our Max Studio sale tomorrow starting at 6am for fabulous pieces from this incredible designer at up to 60% off! It’s time to treat yourself…