Stella McCartney: Brand Building Before Her Buddies
by Godfrey Deeny
Fashion Wire Daily October 7,2004- PARIS - Stella McCartney may not go down in history as a designer who significantly influenced fashion. But, anyone one who tells you that, ultimately, the brand Stella McCartney is not going to be a success should be sent to bed without getting anything for supper.
McCartney, whose ability to connect with the press and field journalists questions makes Bill Clinton (news - web sites) look like a media novice, staged her latest signature collection in Paris, and all her tricks and talents were on display.
For starters, the gal really knows how to put on a show. She picked all the right models, i.e. Daria, Gemma and Dewi, re-looked them like rock goddesses with shaggy, post-coital hair, and sent them out in a coherent pretty, punchy and polished clothes.
Stella can also be relied to whip up neat and novel ideas. Today her big play was a series of beaded bras in stretch cotton, some with rhinestone beading. She used them hidden under voile dresses, or in sexy, high cut swimwear. They all worked. Plus, her high wood soled espadrilles, and new faux doctors bag in light grainy leather looked like winners too.
Her other great strength is mixing male and female references in the same look. So we got guy’s miniature tails with Victorian white cotton dresses, or chopped up mannish mackintoshes in linen over shirtdresses. They were all smart plays on her signature idea that women often look best when the rifle something out their boyfriend’s wardrobe to go with their own clothes.
It never hurts that Stella’s address book is a cool blend of glitz and fame. Today her front row offered us Harvey Weinstein, Daphne Guinness, Padma Lakshmi and Gwyneth Paltrow walked by Giancarlo Giammetti. FYI – The partner of Valentino is staging a diner in Gwyneth’s honor tonight in his art-filled Quai D’Orsay apartment.
No wonder executives from luxury group PPR, which owns 50 percent of Stella’s house – looked so chipper during the show. Slowly but surely, Stella has developed her own signature look, one which will help to assure the success of her latest co-branding, the performance collection created by her for Adidas due to be launched this fall, that will revolutionize the way women dress for the gym worldwide.
No surprise then to see a gang of happy Adidas executives too at the show. Matter of fact, their creative director Michael Michalsky even had a German TV camera crew following around for a documentary on him. Smart guy that he is, he knows everything that Stella touches turns to gold.