Wardrobe for the modern woman, the Stella woman, or
as the designer said herself “It was about finding the Stella woman and the
precision she has in her life and in her wardrobe, and celebrating her”. The
show was set in the beautiful Paris Opera with Sir Paul McCartney and Kanye
West keeping the front row warm.
Stella built her collection really wisely this
season putting her core customer at the centre of it. It was a mix of minimal
structured garments with a twist and show-stopper pieces. “Every day you feel
different. There is a really refined tailored coat, but there is other days
when you want volume and movement in what you are wearing. You want to have
people pay attention” said the designer, explaining the flawless blend of contemporary
staples and untraditional pieces.
It was all about graceful lines, wrapping around the
body in unusual ways, mixing in different textures and fabrics, but at the same
time making the garments extremely wearable. Trousers came with paper-bag
waistlines, high cuffs or fluttering hems, elongating the legs, but still
proposing something new and fresh. This new silhouette of the 70s inspired slim
elongated trousers is specifically gaining momentum for next season as seen on
other designers, including Derek Lam and Narciso Rodriguez.
Asymmetry was the big thing that night. The
asymmetrical off the shoulder chunky ribbed knits were appealing to the eye and
yet so daring. Subtle seductiveness was achieved by the bare shoulder corsets and
dresses that had a strap gently hugging the arm. Sensuality, elegance and
gracefulness were further redefined by the twisted double strand pearls on the models’
bare décolletage at the end of the show. Another surprise just before the
finale was the splash of jacquard and brocade, making eveningwear more rich.
The most talked about items were the “fur free fur”
coats. Coats to get noticed in. Animal friendly oversized fur coats that were
taken up a notch with hand embroidery and a mix of textures, making sure to
create a statement.
Stella achieved the perfect balance between femininity
and androgyny, freedom and classics and by doing so she ticked all the right
boxes.