MILAN — The Los Angeles-based designer Sami Miró is bringing her sensual, safety-pinned, DIY flavor to Milan Fashion Week as the latest Max&Co.’s collaborator.
A favorite among Hollywood style setters such as Selena Gomez, Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Cardi B, Miró —herself a former digital trendsetter, or influencer — has created a 27-piece capsule collection for spring 2026 as part of the Max Mara Group-owned youthful brand’s ongoing &Co.llaboration project.
“As a self-taught designer who tends to work instinctively and outside the traditional mold, it meant so much to have my vision embraced so wholeheartedly [by Max&Co.],” Miró told WWD.
“I was fascinated by how willing they were to embrace my unconventional, instinctive process and not only accept it but celebrate it. That openness, combined with their artistry and technical mastery, created a truly unique synergy that made the whole experience life-changing for me,” she said, characterizing the collaboration as an “ongoing dialogue” in which her team as well as Max&Co.’s challenged each other’s design ethos.
In an autobiographical move, the capsule collection celebrates strong-willed, entrepreneurial women, Miró explained.
The designer embodies the customers she’s tapping into. A native of the Bay Area, she earned a master’s degree in global entrepreneurship and management at the University of San Francisco and came to her love of vintage — and fashion — through thrifting.
When her job at a tech start-up shifted to remote work and she moved to L.A., she began meeting people in creative fields who liked her clothes and encouraged her to become a stylist. Miró then started hanging around photo shoots on weekends and realized she could do some styling, some modeling and maybe even some designing. She took the leap and quit her corporate job.
“Moving to L.A. completely shifted my perspective on what was possible creatively and professionally. Coming from San Francisco, where fashion wasn’t as present, I wasn’t used to being surrounded by people who embraced bold, unconventional style. People immediately connected with my look.…That openness and curiosity gave me the confidence to lean into my identity, explore new paths, and create freely,” she explained.
The Max&Co. capsule collection is titled “Becoming Undone,” which “captures the poetic duality at the heart of this collaboration — the beauty in both becoming and unraveling, intentionally and powerfully. It reflects a sense of self-expression, embracing imperfection as part of the creative process,” Miró said.
It also references the designer’s signature upcycling and deconstructive approach to fashion, which she emphasizes via denim and workwear, open seams, patchworking and layered constructions.
“I’m passionate about filling the gap for fashion-forward, eco-conscious clothing that celebrates individuality. Representation, empowerment and shifting industry norms are at the heart of my work. I love collaborating with inspiring people and creating custom pieces with intention and meaning. To me, fashion and activism are inseparable,” she said.
The lineup hinges on wardrobe essentials, partly crafted from upcycled garments or deadstock fabrics, designed with versatility in mind and with the right dose of unconventional details. Think formfitting denim pantsuits with oversize patch pockets stretching past the bottom hem; jeans with raw, unfinished hemlines, or dressy, slightly masculine shirts reconfigured as wrap tops to be layered under cropped cardigans.
“I’ve always been intrigued by the unseen elements of a garment — the inner structure, the edits, the technical beauty often hidden from view,” Miró said. “This capsule turns those layers outward, embracing raw edges, exposed seams, and intentional deconstruction to highlight the process behind the piece,” she said.
The collection, to be unveiled with a presentation Tuesday, will debut in store between February and March.
Since launching the Sami Miro Vintage brand in 2016 the designer has forged many collaborations, including with Levi’s, Iro and even dating app Tinder.
“Collaboration is such a powerful tool for growth and innovation. For Sami Miro Vintage, working with other creative companies allows us to expand the conversation, to merge different worlds and create something that neither of us could achieve alone. Each partnership is an opportunity to learn, to challenge conventions, and to bring sustainability and conscious design into new spaces,” Miró said. “At the same time, it’s about representation and visibility — proving that a brand built on upcycling, ethics and self-expression can stand alongside global players while staying true to its values. For me, collaboration isn’t about compromise, it’s about synergy and amplifying the message,” she said.
Max&Co.’s tie-up with Miró marks the ninth installment of the &Co.llaboration project.
Last February the brand linked with artist Pietro Terzini, while in September 2024 it unveiled a capsule conceived by Italian stylist and image-maker Lorenzo Posocco. He followed British designer Richard Quinn; travel and style influencer Sofía Sanchez de Betak; stylist and fashion editor Anna Dello Russo; designer and curator Duro Olowu, and Efisio Rocco Marras, the creative director of I’m Isola Marras and son of designer Antonio Marras.
The &Co.llaborations initiative kicked off with a co-branded capsule for spring 2022 created with Margherita Maccapani Missoni.
