Paris Fashion Week:The backdrop to Stella McCartney's triumphant show in Paris yesterday was a remarkable vertical garden, the result of a collaboration with the French botanist Patrick Blanc using more than 20 plant species like sedges and ferns from English country gardens.
It set the scene for a collection in which dreamy floral printed dresses caught the modern romantic mood along with more relaxed and playful tailoring. "It was very elegant, sexy and beautiful", her father, Sir Paul McCartney told The Irish Times afterwards. "She's a hard working girl and I am very proud of her. Her clothes make women look great." Other front row guests included Lily Allen, Kanye West and Twiggy.
Prints of all kinds, graphic, floral, in pale or vibrant colours, are the story of the season, but in McCartney's hands they had a kind of nostalgic power that struck a chord whether it was a cool blue paisley number with fluttering neckline or a more mannish shirtwaister in hand-blocked voile.
Her familiar shapes like jumpsuits and romper suits took on a new look in fragile feminine fabrics, but the crisp white suits and taupe panama safari jackets were sharp, modern and sexy. A series of sheer white gossamer dresses with lingerie lace inserts only needed wings and wands to make them look straight out of a fairy tale.
McCartney's expertise and sure hand also showed in the casual but beautiful gold ribbon handknits and in the sporty shark print denim swimwear. Her luxurious parkas and shorts in soft gold parachute silk were everyday items transformed with a winning shine for summer days in the city. White sunglasses were right on target, too.
A young French designer who is a rising star is Anne Valerie Hash who made her debut on the catwalk six years ago. Known for her quirky masculine/feminine aesthetic, her summer collection showed the softer, breezier side with some intriguing dresses composed of vertical ribbons and others in bell shapes with shoulders crusted with rhinestones. Jackets of vivid green chartreuse silk added shots of bold colour to an offbeat but fresh collection.