Stella McCartney may have been standing backstage in head-to-toe black, in the longest black trousers that puddled on the floor, but her collection this morning pulsed with high-energy colour. She was celebrating summer, she said, and all the inspiring women she knows with clothes that were designed to work as hard as they do.
1) BOLD CHECKS
Vanessa Moody opened the show in a long, ankle-skimming dress cut from slices of bold chili-pepper red checks. Stripes and checks were blended in spring green, bright blue and pink. ‘It’s a summer collection! I wanted it to feel uplifting, happy!’ she said.
2) BLOCK SANDALS
If there’s one piece that’s going to work the hardest, Stella said it's these block-heeled clogs in nude, tan and black.
3) TECH KNITS
Second skin and stretchy, Stella’s polo shirts, vests and narrow skirts criss-crossed the body in opaque and sheer stripes, giving a sporty ease to the collection.
4) PLEATS
We’ve seen them everywhere this season, often pretty and romantic. But Stella’s were ‘active pleats’, bouncing down the runway, suspended from bandeau tops and worn as layered vests or dresses.
5) DENIM
Dark and top-stitched in white, the looks pulsed with a street vibe, complete with fitted tops featuring cut-away shoulders and very, very long baggy jeans, in keeping with the boy-girl beat of the brand.
