Max Mara is an Italian ready-to-wear house, founded in 1951 by Achille MARAMOTTI, headquartered in Reggio Emilia. It specializes in leather and fur. Achille MARAMOTTI, born January 7, 1927, is the son of Giulia MARAMOTTI, founder of a sewing school, and the grandson of Marina RINALDI, owner and manager of a clothing workshop. At his twenties, Achille MARAMOTTI worked for a Swiss raincoat maker. In addition to fashion, Achille MARAMOTTI soon acquired shares in an Italian bank, then in several banks (in 2005, he was vice-president of Credito Emiliano and director of Unicredito Italiano and Mediobank). He also invests in a Parmesan cheese factory.