Marina Rinaldi is a ready-to-wear, plus-size women's clothing brand of the Italian Max Mara Fashion Group, one of the best known of the company’s 35 different labels.^[1][2][3] It has more than 300 stores worldwide,^[1] including ones located in the high fashion shopping districts of several major cities: Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, Madison Avenue in New York City, Old Bond Street in London, and Corso Vittorio Emanuele in Milan.^[4]

Founded in 1980, Marina Rinaldi Group takes its name from the great-grandmother of the founder of Max Mara Fashion Group, Achille Maramotti,^[3] who in 1850 owned a fashion atelier in Reggio Emilia, Italy.^[5] Since 1984 its collections have been available internationally from stores in such cities as Paris, Tokyo, Moscow and Düsseldorf.^[6] Until the founding of Marina Rinaldi there was no fashion group concerned with the fashion needs of curvaceous women.^[7]

Marina Rinaldi began advertising in 1981.^{[citation needed]} From its very first advertising campaigns, developed together with Emanuele Pirella, the brand developed a pioneering concept in an area where advertising aimed at fatter women was nonexistent.^{[citation needed]} The first idea was to present a line of clothing that could satisfy the needs of women who had, until then, been neglected by fashion and stylists.^{[citation needed]} Marina Rinaldi was the first to introduce the Italian expression taglia comoda (“plus-size”, literally, “comfortable size”), replacing the traditional term taglia forte (“outsize”) which had been used until then to describe this type of product.^{[citation needed]} Marina Rinaldi has employed photographers in its advertising, including Arthur Elgort, Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, Greg Kadel, and Craig McDean.^{[citation needed]} The faces of the brand have included India Hicks from Autumn-Winter 1998 to Autumn-Winter 2000, Carré Otis from Spring-Summer 2002 to Autumn-Winter 2003, and Tatjana Patitz from autumn 2009.^{[citation needed]}

In 1991 MR Characters, the brand’s house organ, became the first Italian magazine dedicated entirely to the demands and desires of curvaceous women,^[7] and included not only fashion reports, but also articles on design, literature, art, cooking, travel, beauty and wellness.^{[citation needed]} In 1992, 450,000 copies of the first issue of this free semiannual magazine were distributed in English, French and Spanish translation at Marina Rinaldi stores worldwide.^{[citation needed]}

In July 2010 Marina Rinaldi collaborated with UK pop band Temposhark using their songs Joy and Crime to promote their latest fashion campaigns.^[8] Since then they have collaborated with Ashley Graham, Precious Lee and other well known plus size celebrities and brands.^[9][10]

In February 2012, Melissa McCarthy wore Marina Rinaldi at the 2012 Academy Awards.^[11]

• Italian fashion