October 6, 2022 |
Stella McCartney’s SS23 open-air presentation in front of the Centre Pompidou was a glamorous extravaganza, chock full of high-octane Y2K genetics and impassioned nostalgia – not to mention the incredible craftsmanship. Stringy gold chain tops that left little to the imagination were tweaked reissues of McCartney’s metal link tops from her Chloé spring 2000 collection, worn under big boxy blazers with satiny asymmetrical skirts and fishnet stockings stuffed into naked heels. Bella Hadid sported a shrunken waistcoat and a set of hip bone bearing straight leg trousers with crystal-encrusted celestial cutouts on either hip. Bella walked again, this time in a skin-tight catsuit covered entirely in crystals that felt reminiscent of Britney Spears circa “Toxic”, but made even more luxe through a contemporary lens. Then, the exquisitely tailored sculpted cargo suit that Gigi wore reflected McCartney’s Savile Row stint beautifully.
Nostalgia however, wasn’t actually the driving force behind McCartney’s choice to dip into her archive. Rather, the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara was. Using his illustrations of grumpy children as graphics daubed on stringy knits and stretch-jersey dresses, and centering the collection around his impactful slogan, “Change the History,” there was an inherently subversive sentiment to the looks.
Across the colourblock catwalk, sporty styling cropped up as well, and racer sunnies were right on trend. There were also panelled jeans with western influences, sculpturally sound blouses with ballooning sleeves and distressed denim that felt a bit Kesha. Meanwhile though, every garment was evoked through the finest sustainable technology out there – not that we’d expect any less from the environmental innovator. Think pieces made from regenerative bio-diverse cotton; plant-based shoes made from materials like grape skins faux leather; bags in mycelium mushroom leather; and rhinestone pieces created sans animal glues and solvents. More brands should take note of the Stella way.
Photography courtesy of Stella McCartney.
