3 October 2023 |
Stella McCartney set out her stall. Her catwalk was set up as an outdoor market showcasing her trailblazing approach to materials and production and celebrating her heritage. There were stalls dedicated to everything from vegan leather to sustainable sequins made from shredded paper or cotton, to her clean beauty products and a Stella Vintage stall (where you could buy choice pieces of her back catalogue). Speaking of which, a vinyl record stall sat next to a Wings merch stand, the supergroup founded by her parents. Alongside that was a stall offering Linda McCartney’s veggie burgers (the food firm founded by her late mother Linda). She paid tribute to her parents in a show inspired by their trend setting seventies style.
The couple often dressed alike in matching Tommy Nutter suits (Stella, in turn apprenticed with Nutter’s master tailor Edward Sexton). Seventies style lurex rockstar tailoring came down the catwalk alongside tuxedos and the slouchy suits that have won McCartney a loyal following. That Wings merch found its way onto the catwalk too, on organic cotton tees and bombers. She dipped into her own archive too, pulling out lace-up corsets and hot pants.
Ballooning blouses, mini dresses and bombers were made in NONA Source repurposed silk taffetas. Lead-free crystals sparkled on waistcoats, mini dresses were made of forest friendly viscose and crochet-and-mirror knits were spun from Kelsun™️ – a seaweed-based yarn.
Her Frayme bag was crafted from a vegan alternative to animal leather using grape byproduct from Veuve Clicquot’s harvest.
McCartney should be applauded for pioneering the use of these textiles in the luxury arena and is happy to share her knowledge with other designers. Backstage she recalled how she‘d invited the late Vivienne Westwood to her studio to see how she works with new textiles. It all contributed to the feel good factor.
Photography courtesy of Stella McCartney.
