If there's one thing Stella McCartney’s fashion label is as well known for as its clothes, it's its dedication to animal welfare and sustainability.
To this end, the invitation for this morning’s show at Paris Fashion Week came attached to a roll of compostable plastic bin bags made by TIPA, the company which will now make all of the fashion house’s plastic packaging in a bid to eradicate its plastic footprint.
The show itself, held in the French capital’s impressive Opera National building, followed suit with clothing made from materials such as sustainable viscose, organic cotton, and alter nappa, alter suede and alter croc, which are all synthetic leathers.
Saving the world aside though, this was a collection which explored some of McCartney’s favourite themes, and will no doubt be popular with her loyal customers.
Tailoring and all-in-ones featured heavily, the latter appearing as everything from a black evening jumpsuit to a lime green denim boiler suit and even a yellow single-sleeved leopard print confection.
Easy sports luxe pieces came in the form of parachute silk full skirts worn with boxy, oversized T-shirts, parka coats and mirrored sunglasses.
While some looks were muted in colour - black, navy, cream and terracotta were high on the agenda - African-inspired prints featuring motifs of a microphone and flowers were used on voluminous dresses and skirts and really lifted the palette.
The eveningwear offering was also bright, with fuchsia red and violet taffeta and plenty of frills. There was also an undercurrent of the 1980s throughout, with stonewashed denim jeans, waistcoats and jackets, slouchy kitten heel pixie boots, and ruffles and high collars reminiscent of the New Romantic movement.
Although it was effectively used on trousers and skirts in the collection, accessories are where McCartney’s alter leathers really come into their own.
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A crocodile effect worked particularly well on masculine sandals, and those pixie boots were made from alter suede as well as denim and linen. Cross body bags were particularly eye catching too, with tactile macrame-style straps
