Couture Fashion Week: Stella McCartney’s pre-collection

28 January 2010 at 09:58 stella mccartney pre-collection


Couture Fashion Week: Stella McCartney’s pre-collection



Yesterday evening, I had half an hour of the most unexpected fun in Paris.

Trotted along to the British Embassy to catch the end of Stella McCartney’s pre-collection: that’s a heads-up for winter 2010 delivered in store around the end of June. Was greeted by a pinstriped English butler who was stoking a crackling log fire. Huge balloons floated above a corridor full of accessories and a massive illuminated STELLA pointed the way to a ballroom where a ceilidh was in full swing.

Thought for a moment it was a recording but turns out it was a proper Irish band: men from Belfast and Donegal playing uillean pipes and fiddles. And there was a table groaning with iced Victoria sponge and shortbread petticoat tails. What a laugh! Turns out the band were none other than Guy Ritchie's resident providers of craic at his pub, The Punchbowl, and are releasing an album in March.

And there was Stella, looking incredibly chic in denim flares and a camel jacket, styling the models as they were clearly relaxing into the party spirit.
Want an idea of what to start saving for? My money’s on the cashmere cape, the trouser suit with elongated lapels, the lace dress over lace leggings, the waterfall frill-fronted evening dress and the tweed tote trimmed with chain. It looked like the perfect capsule wardrobe for an urban girl who likes her weekends in the country. I positively bounced out of there full of the joys.

- Paula Reed in Paris