The Maxi Dress Renaissance: An indispensable item in modern fashion

In the ever-changing rhythm of fashion, the maxi dress continues to hold its ground as a versatile, expressive, and beloved garment. More than just a dress, it symbolizes freedom of movement, femininity, and individuality. With its flowing lines and styling possibilities, the maxi dress remains a powerful tool of self-expression, offering women not only elegance but also comfort and confidence.

A dress with history and relevance today

The maxi dress carries with it the spirit of liberation. Rising to prominence in the late 1960s and 70s, it challenged restrictive silhouettes and offered a new sense of ease. That same sentiment resonates today, as modern iterations merge retro influences with contemporary cuts. Designers continue to revisit the shape with bold prints and adaptable designs, ensuring the maxi dress feels both timeless and current.

The maxidress is versatile, and moves with ease from a city commute to an outdoor event, styled up or down depending on the occasion. Paired with sturdy boots or soft sandals, layered for changing weather or worn as a standalone statement, it remains a staple that transcends seasons.

Enter Tessa Koops: Individuality, and bold design

Among the designers who celebrate the maxi dress is Dutch designer Tessa Koops, who stands out for her distinctive approach. For over a decade, she has been creating collections that blend expressive prints with feminine silhouettes, always with a focus on individuality. The maxi dress is, and always will be, an eternal hit to Koops.

From her boutique and showroom in Amsterdam’s Herenstraat, Koops works in a space that mirrors her aesthetic: vivid fabrics, vintage furnishings curated by her, and a sense of personal story. She continues to design hands-on, cutting samples, feeling fabrics, and adjusting fit by instinct rather than sketch. “I design by feel,” she says. “Working from a drawing is often not a circular process, while a woman has three-dimensionality.”

The creative process: From print to silhouette

For Koops, everything begins with print. “It usually starts with the fabric,” she explains. “When I see a print, I think about what kind of garment it should become.” Her collections include a mix of in-house prints and selected patterns from European print houses, each modified to reflect her signature style, through scale, recoloring, or adaptation.

This process results in clothing that feels expressive but wearable, playful yet grounded. Flowing dresses, flared trousers, puff-sleeved blouses and wrap silhouettes often carry nods to the 1970s, an era Koops views as both nostalgic and bold. Her designs speak to women who want to stand out without shouting, women who want to enhance their personality, not to mask it. “I don’t make necessarily bold clothing, But my clothing is worn by bold women.” as Koops puts it herself.

Timeless, but moving forward

The maxi dress remains central to Koops’ vision. Its versatility aligns with her design philosophy: pieces that bring surprise, suit multiple occasions, and reflect the wearer's character. “Clothing influences your state of mind,” she says. “It can amplify how you feel and how you interact with the world.”

As her brand expands into international markets, including Germany, Spain, and the US, Koops continues to explore what individuality looks like across different cultures. Whether it’s a nod to Spanish flair or an Amsterdam attitude, her collections and dresses are built for women who dress with intention and instinct. “I want to offer women a sense of playfulness,” she says. “Playfulness gives you character, and it can keep surprising you.”