Stella Mccartney Presents her pre-Fall 13 line in New York City

by Ann Binlot

Published: January 9, 2013

NEW YORK — Stella McCartney took her pre-fall collection uptown this season, inviting celebrities, artists, and editors to the grand Upper East Side townhouse that houses the Americas Society for a fashion salon of sorts. Models posed as party guests, nibbling on canapés and sipping Veuve Clicquot champagne, even occasionally spilling some.

McCartney’s approach for her pre-fall collection departed from the traditional, staid look associated with uptown events towards a cooler, younger aesthetic. Bold graphic stripes covered blouses and trousers, while the interplay of textures appeared throughout, incorporating tweed, wool, and jacquard, as well as vibrant shades of vermillion, poppy pink, and teal. “That’s something that you wear that doesn’t wear you, but makes you feel the youth,” said the designer

In one room, organized with the help of the art and design venture Grey Area, models dressed in eveningwear covered with dynamic colorblocking and graduated stripes turned into muses for the artists John Gordon Gauld,Miky Fábrega, and Catherine Delphia, who painted the models on easels during the presentation.

“It’s about the connection between the artist and his muse, and it’s a nice way of presenting the collection and having a connection between someone else and not just the models doing 

their job,” said McCartney. “They’re having a real interaction, which is quite unique for a fashion presentation.”

The art-themed soirée attracted a large contingent from the art world, including artists Jeff Koons, Rachel Feinstein, Jonathan Horowitz, Rob Pruitt, and gallerist Gavin Brown.

Koons, who once collaborated with McCartney, called the scene an “El Greco-type moment.” “I’ve gone to many of Stella’s events, and I think that this is really one of the most interesting that I’ve gone to, and I love the environment here,” he said.

Pruitt, who admitted he rarely goes to fashion events, was equally impressed. “I’m just struck by what a great idea it is to combine a little bit of theater and fashion like this,” he said. “I think it’s a great way to see the clothes and I’m having so much fun.”

artinfo.com

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Three minutes with Stella Mccartney

By Emily Cronin Posted: Wednesday 09 January 2013

At the designer’s pre-fall 2013 presentation

An ice sculpture of a unicorn? Probably not the sort of thing you’d expect to find just inside the doorway of an Upper East Side mansion. 

But that unicorn proved the first of many surprises and delights at Stella McCartney’s pre-fall 2013 presentation on Tuesday evening—chief among them, the clothes.

Upstairs, models wearing sinuous, ‘70s-inflected gowns in colour-blocked velvets and silks posed for illustrators in a central salon. Others stood clustered around a Lady Gaga-playing piano man, competed at Scrabble in the library, or just lounged and laughed over glasses of Champagne in the hall.

They wore tuxedo-striped trousers, striped silk jumpsuits and rich, feathered floral jacquard jackets. Anchoring it all was masculine footwear made over with heart-racing touches, like loafers that came spliced with mesh panels or enlivened by chunky tortoiseshell heels.

A train of well-dressed admirers (Mary Louise Parker, Elettra Wiedemann, Jerry and Jessica Seinfeld) waited to congratulate McCartney, both on the accomplishment of the collection and the recent news of her OBE. 

‘I’m a little overwhelmed by it—I feel a little embarrassed, if I’m honest,’ she told us. ‘Whenever I get any kind of accolade, I feel humbled by it. But I feel lucky and privileged and I’m very happy.’

McCartney’s inclusion on the Queen’s New Year Honours List follows her double-win at the 2012 British Fashion Awards, where she took home trophies for Designer and Designer Brand of the Year. Could royal honours be enough to convince her to move her show to London, once and for all?

‘There’s a side of me that loves showing in Paris, and another side that loves showing in London. And then tonight we’re in New York…. I like having the freedom to express the brand, and when it feels right, to be in different parts of the world.

‘I don’t think it’s so much about those two shows anymore. I put as much effort and work into these presentations, to be honest. It’s not so strict anymore.’ 

Although she won’t reprise her models-and-magicians extravaganza during London Fashion Week’s upcoming round of autumn winter 2013 shows, she said she would ‘for sure’ participate in LFW proceedings in the future.

Meanwhile, the collection offers dozens of tantalizing options for her upcoming Palace appointment. Which pieces will she wear first?

‘Oh, I’m the worst person to ask that question to! There are just so many different emotions in this collection, so many pieces I desire. I love the more cocktail-y day looks, like that peacock-blue coat with the feather jacquard, and then the humour and sweetness of the big fluffy teddy bear sweater. I’m obsessed with the red coat. And the tortoiseshell shoes. I want them.’

Imagine that? We do too...

www.elleuk.com

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• Stella McCartney: I might move shows
  Stella McCartney would love to show at London Fashion Week again in the future.
  Stella McCartney has hinted she might move her catwalk shows from Paris.
  The designer presented her pre-Fall 13 line in New York City earlier this week and last year she took a break from the Paris runway to show at London Fashion Week in February.
  Although she is remaining coy about whether she will ever move her bi-annual shows permanently, Stella has hinted she might make things more fluid.
  "There's a side of me that loves showing in Paris, and another side that loves showing in London. And then tonight we're in New York... I like having the freedom to express the brand, and when it feels right, to be in different parts of the world," she told elleuk.com
  "I don't think it's so much about those two shows anymore. I put as much effort and work into these presentations, to be honest. It's not so strict anymore."
  She added that although she won't be showing in London this February, it's something she would definitely do again in the future.
  Stella's latest pre-Fall line was influenced by the '70s, featuring velvet dresses, silk jumpsuits and jacquard jackets.
  It was lauded by those in the audience, many of whom took the time to congratulate the designer on her recent OBE.
  "I'm a little overwhelmed by it - I feel a little embarrassed, if I'm honest," she admitted. "Whenever I get any kind of accolade, I feel humbled by it. But I feel lucky and privileged and I'm very happy."
  Stella couldn't pick one key piece from the collection, instead saying there are several items she can't wait to wear.
  "There are just so many different emotions in this collection, so many pieces I desire. I love the more cocktail-y day looks, like that peacock-blue coat with the feather jacquard, and then the humour and sweetness of the big fluffy teddy bear sweater. I'm obsessed with the red coat. And the tortoiseshell shoes. I want them," she laughed.
  
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