Anne-Marie Beretta is a French born designer who began her career collaborating with Antonio Castillo, creating theatre costumes in the 1950s. She worked for Jacques Esterel until 1965, after which she continued to design for various brands such as Pierre D’Alby, Mac Douglas, and Oleg Cassini. The rain coats she designed for Ramosport starting in 1968 were especially popular. In 1974 Anne-Marie Beretta created her eponymous prêt-à-porter line.
Perhaps one of her most famous contributions is the iconic 101801 coat designed for Max Mara in 1981, a very minimal, easy to wear, and contemporary design, and Beretta’s idea of balance and perfection. The model is still in production today.
Beretta’s silhouettes were considered very unfeminine, often opting for loose tailoring and very large fits which distorted the body. It is evident that her choice of tweeds, grained leathers, and shearlings, and her broad shoulders, wide lapels, and flat caps were deliberately appropriated from men’s wardrobe for their comfort and wearability. She is known for her structured garments, their stark asymmetry, as well as her constant play with proportions, for which she is characterized as the « architecte du vêtement ».
