Paris Fashion Week: Stella McCartney kicked off yesterday's shows in Paris with a collection that was sophisticated and feminine but still bore her unmistakable signature.
Her name has spread internationally since last year's sell-out launch of her low-cost collection for H&M and she has just guest edited the current issue of Russian Vogue.
A stellar line-up of guests at the show held in the ballroom in the Hotel de la Paix included rock singer Courtney Love surrounded by paparazzi and jostling camera teams. A deep V-necked batwing shape is a familiar McCartney silhouette and it appeared in denim shirts tucked into jeans or in knee length sweater dresses.
Sweater dresses are a recurring trend for winter and McCartney's knitwear was a high point of her collection whether inset into cashmere tent coats or adding emphasis to high-waisted jackets. One lovely circular standaway knit dress came in descending shades of textured denim.
Long cardigans with waterfall lapels had her characteristic offhand elegance and were a foil for the new Appaloosa bags. Colours were subdued, dark blues, greys and black.
Though she's known for sharp and sexy tailoring and there were some terrific skinny jeans, the collection had a new softness evident in the high-waisted dresses of printed grey jersey over which a tender babe might throw a royal blue swagger coat.
Her evening wear was less raunchy than usual, though the oversize black sequins decorating chiffon dresses and long gowns in steely metallic satin seemed primed for the limelight.
Metallic gold used in knitwear, on accessories or dramatically gilding a dazzling coat, lit up Clements Ribeiro's collection for Cacharel and its otherwise sombre northern palette. The Anglo Brazilian duo sent out smart grey coats with black velvet embroidery, matt gold ribbed cardigans with pleated skirts.