The invitation to Stella McCartney’s show came with a roll of “trashion bags,” recyclable bin liners with the designer’s logo printed on them made of “recycled linear low density polyethylene.” McCartney has long sent her invite with a little tchotchke: charming but, more often than not, plastic. The recyclable bags are more on message with her low-impact, green-leaning ethos. Fashion show invitations should be strictly digital in 2017, but this was a gesture in the right direction. As was the announcement today that she’s entered into a strategic relationship with the luxury online resale destination The Real Real to foster future consignment and “re-commerce” of products she designs. McCartney is creating a lot of good will around her.
It’s satisfying to report that she doubled down on her eco commitments on the runway, as well. McCartney was an early believer in the viability of faux leather in the designer market. For years, her endeavors in this area were mostly reserved for bags and shoes, but this time around she used the material—Skin-Free Skin, she calls it—for clothes, and it was surprisingly supple-looking on pieces like a clingy black twist-front top and a pair of caramel-colored trousers with the loose, relaxed fit of sweats.
In the high-stakes Paris fashion world, McCartney’s collections have occasionally been critiqued as not ambitious enough or overly basic. One need only look around these days to see that the kind of sophisticated ease she specializes in is trending. Walking out of the show, a well-respected consultant confirmed as much when she remarked how happy retailers must be when they see something they know they can sell right now. Complex simplicity on the runway is one thing, but in real life, straight-up simplicity often works best. Some pieces that are likely to be on their order sheets: the oversize flight suit in washed cotton, the ruffled trapeze dresses in colorful African prints, and deconstructed evening looks that combined boxy tees and taffeta ball skirts.
