Stella McCartney AW22 – Stella by Stella
Sian Cuthbert Davis discovers the new collection for Autumn/Winter
Most of us find inspiration in the things we love, and it’s no different for the world’s top fashion designers. For Stella McCartney it’s the American artist Frank Stella. Her namesake has been an on-going well she’s drawn from – and so it was for the AW22 collection. Fittingly, Stella by Stella first made its debut in Paris earlier this year at the epicentre of culture and art, the Pompidou Centre. An ode to art history, the new offering is a celebration of both the artist and the designer. McCartney delved into Stella’s archives and set out to re-imagine intriguing approaches from his earlier work.
Born and raised in Malden, Massachusetts, Frank Stella first burst onto the art scene in New York in the 1960’s. It’s his work from the 70s and 80s that creates the conversation between creators and collectors, masculine and feminine, minimalism and maximalism in the collection. And, as with the artist’s own work, it has been left up to us to decipher our own narratives, making the emotional connection that much stronger.
Just as with art, fashion has many eagled-eye collectors. While some may not recognise it as a pure art form, Stella by Stella brings with it an introduction that’s all-enveloping. The fact that the collection is free from animal leather and made from 67% conscious materials therefore becomes remarkable in its unimportance to the art or its viability. It takes us on an odyssey of patterns and colours – from the fluid lines of the stretch viscose dress drawn from Stella’s Ahab print, to Savile Row tailored suits and dresses inspired by the artist’s Spectralia series. A fiesta for art and fashion aficionados alike, Stella by Stella is nothing short of genius.
McCartney’s love of Stella’s work has long been evident in her own. AW22 continues that trend while maintaining his rich legacy. Because of it, we now all have the opportunity to be walking works of art this winter.
Stella by Stella is available from Sept 12th. For more information on Stella McCartney, click here
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