Family and community are at the centre of the designer Maximilian Davis' work. 'My dad studied design and my mother was a model, and although neither are in the industry anymore they served as a motivator,' he says. His interest in fashion came early. He remembers watching music videos and being inspired to draw. 'I'd get my dad to sketch figures, so that I could try to draw replicas of the outfits I had just seen.'
His grandmother was also an influence. 'She would always be making costumes,' he says. 'We'd take things apart and make trousers out of jumpers. I owe a lot of my early design knowledge to her.'
Davis* studied Design at Manchester College (his father and sister are also alumni), where his ambition was sparked. 'I wanted to go further than my family had with design to prove that it could be done,' he says.
Read Next
By 2010, and after he moved to study at London College of Fashion, he spent a year working with designer Grace Wales Bonner, whom he'd met while working on the shop floor at Selfridges. 'I learned so much about the business of fashion while spending time with Grace,' he says.
After setting up his independent label in 2020, he presented two collections in mentor Lulu Kennedy’s SS21 Fashion East line-up. 'Black history, my Trinidadian roots and my grandmother's influence all feed into my work,' he adds.
The sensuality of his designs is echoed in his attention to the feel as much as the look of the clothes he makes. 'I really care about the fabric I use,' he says. 'A lot of my jackets are lined with a silken viscose – it gives them a sense of texture and you can't help but feel powerful when you’re wearing it.'
Despite fans of his star-studded fanbase, which includes Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Michaela Coel, Davis insists he doesn't design for any particular muse, but instead wants to make fashion for all. 'I want everyone to feel like they can be a part of it. My collections so far have been inspired by the women in my life. Whether it’s my mother, who prefers a more tailored piece, or my sisters, who want something short and flirty, I design with all ages in mind.'
Next up Davis joins Harris Reed and Chopova Lowena on the MATCHESFASHION Innovators Programme, set up to support the industry's brightest rising stars. As for his next designs, 'You can expect formal wear, dresses and clothes on clothes on clothes,' he says. 'All delving into another side of my childhood.'
*This article originally appeared in the April issue of ELLE UK before Salvatore Ferragamo announced that Davis had been appointed the brand's new Creative Director.
The Most Spectacular Dresses Of Fashion Month AW24
