Stella McCartney has long been a leader in the industry when it comes to sustainability and the politics of fashion. For her fall 2019 show this season, staged inside the gilded Palais Garnier in Paris, she called on prominent guests to donate a tree to spotlight the environmental devastation happening in the Leuser ecosystem in Sumatra, Indonesia. The dedication to the earth continued in the textiles, where viscose was harvested from certified sustainably managed forests in Sweden — and it manifested too in the form of a gorgeous collaboration with textile artist Sheila Hicks. Here's everything else you need to know about the show.
Robe Life
Many of the coats and dresses in the collection, whether soft and less structured, or stronger and angular, were cinched at the waist with free-flowing robe-like ties. This added an element of bohemian spirit to the overall show.
New Suiting
McCartney showed an array of suiting. The designer played with proportions and created a silhouette that was tighter on the top and leaner on the bottom.
The Artist's Eye
The label collaborated with the legendary 85-year-old textile artist Sheila Hicks to create spun yarn necklaces and belts in supersized forms. On models, they looked truly like pieces of magical art — breathtaking in their colors and sculptural forms.
Slouchy Sweaters
McCartney added in pops of a more casual aesthetic by way of slouchy sweaters — the kind that look like you can live inside them. Some had hoods and structured shoulders, too.
Upcycled Jewelry
Beyond the fantasy inducing Sheila Hicks pieces, the jewelry in the collection had a very upcyled look. Earrings were crafted out of safety pins, for example.
Photography: Sonny Vandevelde
