The British designer Stella McCartney opened Paris fashion week with a dozen dancing horses, marking the Chinese year of the horse and 25 years in the industry. Speaking after the show, she let slip that she would receive the Légion d’honneur on Thursday, France’s most prestigious accolade.
The collection was a whistle-stop tour of McCartney’s life, featuring fisherman knits referencing a childhood on the Mull of Kintyre, recycled low-rise denim from her teenage years in west London, and jewel-coloured stirrup leggings from interning at Christian Lacroix. The finale vest, reading “My dad’s a rock star”, was a nod to the “rock royalty” one she wore to the 1999 Met Gala, worn by McCartney herself as she felt few others would. Front row guests included Paul McCartney and Oprah Winfrey.
Despite not turning a profit since 2017, with fears the brand could run out of money by 2028, McCartney emphasised her label’s commitment to sustainability. She noted she is one of the few women designing for women and that her brand has never used leather, feathers, fur or animal skins. The show also featured a jumper made using yeast, turning brewed protein into knitwear.
