It was a very English scene at Stella McCartney's Adidas presentation: a local sports center under the Westway flyover, then a hall inside, turfed over like a provincial seaside park, with golf driving ranges and a mini-pool with a pink plastic raft floating in it and a fake flamingo on the side. There were models running around in long jersey shorts with rolled hems, shiny hoodies, and sheer white parkas, some others dangling their feet in the pool wearing black cutaway swimsuits, and the rest goofing around whacking golf balls in stone-colored Bermudas, T-shirts, and the odd belted jacket. As they were doing this, folks were milling about, drinking cocktails, listening to Ronnie Scott's house band, and watching Paul McCartney, Peter Blake, Justin de Villeneuve, and, randomly, Debbie Harry mill about, drinking their cocktails, too. Fun, if you were in a party mood, but it sort of sold McCartney's line short. This collection is one of the most functional, fully thought-out sportswear lines for women that exists—and certainly the best-looking. Had it been shown on athletes, it would have displayed the designer's competitive edge to better effect.
