Monday evening, Stella McCartney drew New Yorkers out of their weekend-long hibernations for the presentation of her pre fall 15 collection (and some rousing rounds of mini golf and table tennis!) at Covenant of the Sacred Heart, one of the city’s oldest private schools housed in a pair of Upper East Side neo-Renaissance mansions. The 91st St landmark was the perfect setting for McCartney’s autumn offerings, which strike an effortless balance between uptown’s urban luxury and downtown’s relaxed-chic vibes. Combining rich textures, smartly playful prints, and just the right injections of metallic adornment, McCartney’s collection appeals to every New York woman.
Alongside the likes of Kristen Stewart, Chloe Sevigny, and Jacquelyn Jablonski, McCartney showed slightly oversized, androgynous silhouettes that flourished more simple, masculine shapes with refined feminine detailing. Loose, luxe ruffling contrasts nicely with sharp, angular cuts, but McCartney didn’t stop at the streamlined separates. She applied the same vision of an easy, remixed tuxedo to garments of all textures, punching up chic shapes with rich statement fabrications like fur-free crimped long haired jerkin or cheetah print wool melton.
From opulent prints to mixed metals, the beauty was also in McCartney’s details this season. Some of the collection’s standout pieces, (like look 13’s breezy tunic and trouser combination) features a psychedelic garden print, a collaboration with London based illustrator, Will Sweeny. Playful wild cat and flower prints in metallic fil coupes similarly appear as graphic motifs throughout the collection, as does McCartney’s use of subtle-yet-elegant metallic adornments including hammered gold ring detailing and brass-hued embroidery.
Having lead the sustainability charge throughout her near 20 year career, McCartney incorporated eco-conscious touches for pre-fall, including Patagonia sustainable wool and wood, as well as biodegradable rubber soles, (which looked all the better for mini-golfing through windmills and a giant Stella handbag.) This season, McCartney definitely sunk a hole in one.
Credits
Text Emily Manning
Images courtesy Stella McCartney