[size=+1]The Star Online > Lifearts[/size]
Thursday September 22, 2005
Stellar sports gear
Ex-Chloe designer Stella McCartney’s stand on animal rights and hard-line vegetarianism have not endeared her to some while her reputed prickly persona has hardly enhanced her image. Now did the Stella KEE HUA CHEE encountered at the launch of her new women’s sportswear for Adidas in London sting him?
AT THE private party hosted by Adidas at the posh China Club in London the night before the interview, I was discreetly taken to a corner by the director of Adidas Europe who looked slightly embarrassed before muttering: “I take it you are vegetarian?” As I was in the process of devouring a chicken drumstick, I waved it at him, saying: “God forbid! Of course I am a meat eater.”
Stella McCartney: ‘My goal is to dress the entire British team for the Beijing Olympics 2008.’
“Oh dear, so are all the rest,” he sighed, before explaining it is written in Stella McCartney’s contract all meals served at her press events must be strictly vegetarian with no meat within spitting distance. “And that goes for drinks too. No fizzy colas, unhealthy sodas or hard liquor. Only fresh fruit drinks and even those must be organic.”
I am perfectly fine with juice from freshly squeezed organic fruits but to have Stella imposing her food preference on me is too much. Luckily there is a fast-food joint near the Horticultural Halls where the lavish presentation is held. More is to come. “By the way, please
do not wear your mink or fur or leather jacket. Er, leather belt is okay, I guess, and remember your Adidas sneakers.” Oh well, there goes my sumptuous snakeskin pants too.
Horrifying visions of Stella engaged in catfights with journalists thus averted, we arrive for the all-day event. What seems like a gigantic cupboard with cubby holes is the elaborate stage, each cubicle occupied by a model performing various exercises, from aerobics, stretching and tread-mill walking to biking and boxing.
Stella McCartney joins the models with Michael Michalsky, global creative director, and Bill Sweeney, head of global apparel, to give her sales pitch. The one-on-one interview, held inside a purpose-built cardboard room, is so hot that Stella has to emerge now and then to breathe. Someone forgot about the ventilation; the thought of conducting the interview at a secluded, airy and breezy corner of the cavernous hall did not occur to anyone.
I ask if she could pose with her designs. The Adidas folks almost swoon from fright but Stella is cool as cucumber. “Okay, let’s do it now before I wilt further.” We walk out to the nearest mannequin where she poses for 10 seconds flat.
“I am the first to admit I am not an active sportswoman. Formerly I was very dismissive of sports attire as those I saw always looked tacky so I never gave them a second glance. I was proven right! There was no designer sportswear for amateur sportswomen,” she insists.
Sportswear designed by Stella McCartney for Adidas double up as training attire and casual wear. They are practical, comfortable and stylish.
“You would never dream of wearing such garments on the street. You would only put them on upon arrival at the gym and remove them first thing before stepping back into the street. My clothes are designer-sports so they do double duty as training attire and casual wear.”
I ask what makes her clothes special or different from the pack. She grins, saying: “I am realistic – my clothes are not made exclusively for Olympic gold medallists. My garments look cool and perform well, that’s all. First part is practicality. Each T, top or sweater must make arm movements easy. No constrictions or pinched-in tightness.
“Women who work out should take their sports and style seriously. Why sacrifice one for the other? Of course, you can work out in awfully boring clothes as some think style is the least important thing when you should be concentrating on building muscles or toning flab but now there is a choice – you can get both.
“I am not expert in any sport so I worked with athletes who tell me what is comfortable, what suits them and what doesn’t work. I want my clothes to deliver both style and function. Your boobs can fall out in some swimsuits but once yours are inside mine, they stay put. Mine are specific sports products. Women don’t just run or jog all the time – we have various activities and my clothes are designed for four categories – Running, Gym/Workout, Swimwear and what we call Cover-ups. Cover-ups are stuff for warming up or cooling down or ‘stand-alone’ or ‘separates’. For my debut, I have 43 items for apparel, eight for accessories like bags and seven footwear designs, all in different colour-ways.”
Fabrics used are not your trusty cottons or sweat-absorbing terry. Stella and Adidas collaborate to use high-tech materials to conduct heat away from your body, help sweat evaporate quickly, keep your feet fresher and cushion the impact of jumping and running.
Chips in Michael Michalsky, Adidas global creative director: “Stella is involved every step of the way and even oversees product creation. She doesn’t simply throw her sketches to us but goes through several prototypes and collaborates in every sense of the word with our team.”
She is said to never fail to preach animal rights and it comes soon enough. “I use high-tech fabrics and the latest innovations extensively for ethical reasons. I am totally against animal testing and suffering. I care deeply about the environment and with scientific research and progress so readily available, old-fashioned methods of animal testing and the usage of leather and skins are now unnecessary and obsolete. We now know what each product can do based on its chemical properties so why should there be any more painful testing on animals?
“Some misguided, foolish souls equate good quality with dead animals and their skins – this is something I can never understand! If you say fur keeps me warm, that’s just about the last excuse available. Perhaps in Neolithic days when we lived in caves but we have now developed New-Age clothes that keep us warm yet are lightweight. This is the beauty of cutting edge technology – what more can we ask for?
“It’s all about product aesthetic which is now blended into the fabric. My clothes that touch your skin are infused with special silver threads that act like air-conditioner and dehumidifier by taking moisture away. I also use Micro-Fleece, a revolutionary material that keeps you as warm as 20 animal fur coats! Each compacted fibre-strand is hollow, like macaroni. With such fabrics at our disposal, there cannot be any reason for furs, leather or suede exteriors or linings.”
Each jacket or blouson springs unexpected, charming yet useful surprises.
“There are key chains secured inside pockets so no more fumbling for missing keys. Some come with attached whistles you use to attract boys or the police if being mugged,” she says with a giggle.
A coat usually comes with a secret compartment for an MP3 player, with holes for earphones and handphone holder secured by heart-shaped Velcro. Plus enough pockets and zips to satisfy the hoarders among us. For those who insist on jogging in winter, there are even built-in mittens to keep fingers toasty.
The hottestselling accessories created by Stella McCartney for Adidas are the sports bags.
The hottest-selling accessories are her sports bags. “The first time I showed the bags, the reaction was universal – everyone freaked out and said the bags were hilarious. Previously, gym bags lacked wit and humour, so I said to myself, ‘High time I did something to perk up a utilitarian carry-all.’ Actually all I did was add two roomy pouches at opposite sides with the names of items each compartment is supposed to contain, like soap, shampoo, goggles, swim cap and even money. No more fumbling or groping for essentials.
“I used to dump shampoo, conditioner, hair brush, wallet, everything into the bag plus clothes. Then I got pissed groping for a certain item, taking it out, hoping it was what I was looking for and wasting time generally. The bottom of my bag opens to reveal storage for dirty shoes and smelly socks. So there is a place for everything and everything is in its place.
“You know what pleases and flatters me most?” she asks. I reply my talents do not include mind-reading. She chuckles and continues: “After seeing what I have to offer, my lah-di-dah friends, who can’t tell the difference between a badminton and tennis racquet, all said my gear makes them want to go work out instantly. My goal is to dress the entire British team for the Beijing Olympics 2008.”
There are no plans for Stella McCartney to produce a men’s range. I accuse her of being sexist. “Not at all. I am being practical with my skills,” she grins. “I find the male form hard to understand. Let’s say the male physique floors me! I am a woman and have always designed for women so I am sticking to what I do best.”
With her slim figure, it is hard to imagine that she delivered her first baby barely two months ago. Says the designer proudly: “Now I am a mother, designer and wife ? er, in that order.
“I have mellowed, I have to admit. The control freak element in me has calmed down and I am not so unrealistic, expecting perfection from everyone all the time. They say I used to drive my staff up the wall but with motherhood, I am seeing things in a different perspective. Quite amazing.”
As our chat meanders to an end, I ask what must be on everyone’s mind: “Stella, why are you not wearing your own sports clothes? You have a jacket, two scarves, denims and, horrors, leather boots, none of which can be from your own collection. Shouldn’t you be promoting your spiffy new attire?”
Stony silence. The Adidas directors look to the heavens for succour and wait for the hail to rain down. Her eyes flash, then she laughs as the storm passes and she cleverly passes the buck to Adidas. “That’s because so many of my clothes have been ordered by Adidas New Concept Stores worldwide they don’t have any left for me. Honest, I haven’t been given any. You know what? I am going to insist that I be given a full set when my contract comes up for renewal.”
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Adidas that Stelle did!!
