Fashion designer Stella McCartney unveiled her fall and winter collections Sept. 12 at Saks Fifth Avenue.
The collections highlighted long lean silhouettes, beautiful peekaboo cut-out designs, bold whimsical prints and an array of sleek and easy suiting.
McCartney’s design inspiration stems partly from her four children. Possibly one of her most interesting pieces was developed using a photograph of a crinkled Mylar balloon played with by her children. The result was a silk dress evoking the appearance of a foil texture minus the third dimension.
McCartney has also featured a “peekaboo cut-out” detail in many of her other designs. The polka-dot cutout dress has clearly become an iconic piece. The sheer and opaque stretch fabric enhances the curves of a woman’s body while keeping the flavor “not too hot to handle.” She likes to create a “sexy look” with simple elegance.
Actress Kate Winslet was the perfect model to portray such elegance at the Venice Film Festival. She wore McCartney’s black and white color-block stretch cotton dress with curved seams, emphasizing the hourglass silhouette.
Aside from great style, McCartney’s 2011 fall and winter collections hold even greater value for animal lovers. As an animal lover herself, she has created a special line of handbags titled the “Falabella Collection.” These are beautifully crafted fabric backed handbags coated more than 30 times to create a luxurious faux leather look. The bags also are adorned with shiny metal chain details stitched to the side seams.
Available now at the Saks Fifth Avenue shop on Michigan Avenue, you will find many more enticing textile delights that are sure to make the busy commuters stop and “catch a glimpse.” Text by Miranda Gasek; photos courtesy of Stella McCartney