Eco-friendly designer Stella McCartney pulled no punches at her latest Paris Fashion Week show.
“The autumn/winter 2024 collection opened with a message from Mother Earth, and Stella McCartney environmental rallying was at the heart of the show.”
A collection of screens next to the runway showed pictures of nature, with a voiceover read by actors Olivia Colman and Helen Mirren – representing Mother Earth – asking: “Why are you harming me?”
The voiceover continued, “But what will be left of me after you? I still love you. Do you still love me? I need you to show it—it’s about time.”
This final sweary refrain was the rallying cry of the collection, plastered across McCartney’s social media channels and seen on T-shirts down the runway.
Furthermore, it’s worth noting that British designer McCartney, 52, didn’t intend the collection to be all doom and gloom despite the potentially confronting nature of her latest collection.
McCartney said she wanted positivity, not negativity. She didn’t want the show to feel depressed or scared. Menkes posted a video on Instagram of McCartney saying this backstage after the show.
“I wanted to celebrate Mother Earth. The story of the show is to have an uplifting experience. Fashion can lift people up. We have something to say at Stella. Hopefully, it’s a positive message.”
The collection featured many well-tailored suits, silky dresses, and covetable outerwear.
Slouchy tailoring has become a staple of the McCartney brand, and the autumn/winter collection had that in abundance. Furthermore, tailoring took on a more seductive vibe on the runway, with models strutting in oversized jackets and trousers sans a shirt underneath. Additionally, bedazzled accents adorned some of the blazers, adding a touch of glamour to the collection.
Outerwear was a vital collection theme, from structured trench coats in crocodile-effect materials to oversized knitted coats. And there was plenty of star power on the runway—Lila Moss, the daughter of Kate Moss, wore a light blue knitted poncho-style coat, while Russian model Natalia Vodianova closed the show in a floor-length white furry coat and matching boots.
Elsewhere, innovative knitted jumpers in neutral colorways looked to have balaclavas built in, while McCartney also played around with denim—one pair of jeans had a sequinned panel in the shape of chaps. In contrast, another had poppers up the side.
Lips have long been a recurring motif for the brand, and this season, they were seen more subtly – on slinky patterned dresses.
McCartney used leather and sequins but made them sustainable. Last year, she debuted biodegradable, non-toxic sequins. Her ‘leather’ pieces are also made from sustainable materials.
The models walked the runway in a glass room that almost felt like a greenhouse. The room blurred the lines between indoor and outdoor spaces.
McCartney took a bow in an oversized grey suit. She wore a black T-shirt underneath. Her father, musician Paul McCartney, applauded on the front row.
Fellow Beatles member Ringo Starr joined him, and they weren’t the only famous faces keen to see McCartney’s latest collection.
The collection centered around block colors, and former Spice Girl Melanie Chisholm, known as Mel C, continued this theme in an all-grey outfit.
Meanwhile, Bond star Naomie Harris’ outfit was about sharp tailoring: an all-white suit with caped sleeves.
Jameela Jamil, from Good Place, was in the front row. She wore a fluffy light brown teddy coat and matching thigh-high boots.
By Prudence Wade, PA
