Stella McCartney took her spring runway show outdoors onto a Paris street with a view of the Eiffel Tower and market stands stacked with sustainable products as she presented a collection of airy, feminine gowns and shimmery hot pants.
Models strode down the pavement runway parading short, billowing capes, gold jacquard suits, colourful floral prints, tailcoats and cummerbunds, with mirrored brooches by Andrew Logan adding extra shine.
By featuring women and men in the lineup, the idea was to show that “anyone can wear this stuff”, McCartney told journalists after the show, following a photo session with guests including Paris Hilton, Chris Rock and Tony Parker.
Dubbing her event “Stella’s solution driven sustainable market”, the designer gestured to the stands behind her, displaying fabrics made of seaweed and apples, recycled plastic bottles, past collection of kids clothes and beauty products from the LVMH-owned label.
“Anything is better than nothing: just meet people, learn about things, try to take a water bottle next time you go out and a carrier bag next time you shop and stop consuming quite so much fashion because we know we don’t need it,” she said.
Asked about the challenges of setting up the outdoor market, McCartney said she did not plan for rain.
“We don’t ever do a wet weather option, I’m always like, I trust in you mother earth,” McCartney said.
- Reporting by Mimosa Spencer; Editing by Alison Williams, of Reuters.