Laid-back luxe was order of the day for Stella McCartney at Paris Fashion Week

Sports luxe and deconstructed wedding dresses provided inspiration for the British designers' Autumn Winter 18 collection
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Hannah Rochell6 March 2018

During a fashion week where the front row and street style stars were obsessing over designer trainers, it was fitting that Stella McCartney’s footwear had a firm focus on sport.

The designer, who has been a pioneer in the use of alternative synthetic leathers and furs, introduced the new Loop trainer for autumn/winter 2018. Its specially designed hooks and stitching mean that no glue is used in the construction of the sole.

These were paired with oversized long flowing dresses for the ultimate in laid-back luxe. Other sneakers combined an inbuilt knee high tube sock in red or white (in fact, the show invitation came with a pair of bright yellow socks for every attendee).

McCartney’s sportswear has always been one of her strengths - her popular collaboration with Adidas has been going strong since 2004 - but another area in which she always excels is tailoring.

Stella McCartney's AW18 collection
Reuters

For next season, she introduced a shorts-trousers hybrid, with a hem at the front of the legs that gave the impression that the model was wearing long matching shorts over the top - this illusion did not continue on the other side.

Pinstripe vests were worn open at the back, and some items were turned inside out, such as dresses made from the lining of a men’s jacket, complete with seams and darts on show.

Deconstructed vintage wedding dresses were also an inspiration; many frocks featured lace and silk slips as well as parts of bodices, pieced together in a patchwork of champagne and blush shades. In addition, the work of the British artist J.H. Lynch, well-known in the Sixties for his paintings of women, was used as a punchy print, as were floral postcards from the Fifties and Sixties. Adding to the retro feel of some of the collection were long checked Crombie-style coats worn with baggy jeans, which were made from organic cotton.

Stella McCartney's AW18 collection
AP

It has been widely speculated that Stella McCartney and Kering, which owns a 50% share of the brand, will part ways after a 17 year partnership early this year, though neither party has confirmed this.

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