A FIRST LOOK AT STELLA MCCARTNEY AND H&M’S RE-COLLABORATION
words by ANOUK WOUDT
After around 20 years since their last collaboration—which was back in November 2005— Stella McCartney and H&M are back to rekindle their long-lasting partnership, through a shared passion of sustainability. Coming to selected stores on May 7th, we have an exclusive first peek at what we can expect from the new collection. With bedazzled looks and graphic slogan tees, the pieces feel very true to the classic Stella McCartney look, while remaining quite wearable for everyday; though she still manages to throw a few classy evening wear pieces in the mix.
Pulling inspiration from the house’s past and present, the collection feels like a true ode to the Stella McCartney legacy. Oversized shirts, sweeping trenches and sharp tailoring absolutely imitate the present-day McCartney runway, while the fun girly bejewelled prints and bold slogans recall the designer’s early beginnings in the fashion world. When asked what would make this collection different from what you could buy anywhere else, in the official press interview, McCartney offers some insight on what the collection means to her:
“I mean, this collection is so fun. There are the real Stella clothes, the tailoring, the shoulder, the cottons, as you say, those breezy cottons. But there’s a hell of a lot of amazing evening wear. And it’s so hard to do evening wear sustainably, isn’t it?”
Sustainability remains a huge part of Stella’s vision and actually was a contributing factor to her returning to a partnership with H&M, as they are also a brand that actively promotes sustainability, despite their position as a huge corporation in the fast fashion retailer market. Funny enough, the two brands even found themselves having the same eco-based suppliers, when sourcing materials for the upcoming collection. In a conversation between her and H&M’s Creative Advisor and former Head of Design, Ann-Sofie Johansson, Stella states:
“What I love about this, and one of the reasons I said yes to coming back after all this time, was that H&M didn’t just leave it there, as I think a lot of other people could have done. They could have gone, okay, great. We’ve used her name. She’s made us look good in sustainability. And now we’re not going to practice it anymore. And to their credit, they’ve continued to do so. So that was one of the reasons for me to want to come back and do it again.”
The campaign itself also completely embodies the spirit of the house. Shot through the lens of Sam Rock in her home city of London, she assembled the ultimate girl crew with features from singer-actress Renée Rapp—whom Stella regards as a good personal friend of hers— and top models Angelina Kendall and Adwoa Aboah.
“I’m a big advocate of women and supporting women and their success. So I love that they’re supporting us, and in being the campaign, but we’re supporting them. Like, it’s a wonderful thing to try and elevate people and, you know, and cross-pollinate [...] different worlds.”
Throughout it all, McCartney’s rebel heart pulses through every piece, making sure that the looks reflect and highlight the personality of the house she has built over the course of 25 years. With apparel and accessories, you can be completely decked out in the new Stella McCartney X H&M look or just grab your favourite statement piece to wear on its own.
One of the highlights of the collection, is an official recreation of the iconic matching DIY “Rock Royalty” tops that she and Liv Tyler had worn to their first-ever Met Gala, back in 1999— a grail, now made available to the masses! Sparkly horse motifs also dance around fabrics, amongst reptilian prints and rhinestones in a truly fun expression of the brand’s identity. With everything from earrings to shoes to jeans and even keychains— this collection is ultra-expansive, featuring cute pieces for any type of occasion.
