Free as a bird in Stella MacCartney's ss25

Yesterday, under an open sky, a playground for all the birds of Paris, gray but miraculously dry for the end of September, the SS25 collection by Stella McCartney was presented. After a manifesto narrated by Helen Mirren about saving what we love while there's still time, the models entered and walked in rhythm to When Doves Cry by Prince, a track meticulously chosen not only for the impressive vibrato of its interpreter but especially for its message. Indeed, the main theme around which the entire collection revolves is that of birds, in a subtle and poetic call for help, but above all an invitation to protect them at all costs. But let’s not be mistaken: no cheap false feathers or exaggerated ostrich outfits on the tarmac that served as a podium yesterday morning, only discreet details, crafted in colors that are sometimes neutral and sometimes more vivid, all in a balanced and thoughtful homage to nature and all its wonders.

The collection is mainly divided into two categories: on one side, there are shoulder-padded suits and wide-leg pants that seem to come straight from the well-stocked yet forgotten closet of a dad from the 80s, suitable for daytime wear, and on the other side, transparent pleated dresses and delicate lingerie for nighttime. In the models' hands hangs a new model of sports bag that caught the public's attention: the Ryder, made from vegan materials and available in all conceivable sizes. The airy tulle appears in many dresses this season, alongside fringed silver pearls, fluidly draped fabrics, transparent lace, crinkled silk, and denim embellished with crystals. A true demonstration of craftsmanship in sewing, construction, and design, the collection emphasizes voluminous silhouettes with its puff dresses, wide shoulder pads, and bold embellishments, blending classic pieces like tank tops and vegan leather pants, thus finding the perfect balance between modern minimalism and maximalism. In addition to vegan leathers, the designer also used recycled plastic bottles to create dresses that seem anything but plastic. This eco-friendly choice is highly anticipated from Stella McCartney, who is no stranger to ecological innovations, but is also made in an activist spirit, ultimately capturing the essence of her collection when examined more closely.

“One and a half billion birds are killed for fashion. Feathers belong to birds, so we can take inspiration from them. This season was about being elevated, being a bird, being free, and seeing things from a different perspective: masculinity, femininity,” she explained to Vogue. The collection is thus an ode to nature, but more importantly, a critique of those who harm it and the industry in which the designer has worked for decades, in an attempt to effect change and demonstrate that fashion can thrive without being detrimental to the planet it inhabits. A message the designer sought to convey in every possible way: in addition to the choice of soundtrack and the collection's prints, caps featuring the inscription About Fucking Time (the slogan from the campaign done in collaboration with Peta) were kindly placed on each seat, alongside copies of the Stella Times, a newspaper signed by McCartney that consists of facts and statistics about nature and its state, which, more broadly, combines hard and uncomfortable truths subtly presented by the designer along with her legendary British humor, in an effort to make her readers and followers of her creations reflect on their consumption. In any case, even if the 55 looks presented yesterday did not succeed in convincing the audience to completely change their lifestyle and discard their leather and feather garments, they at least allowed them, for the duration of a show, to feel as free as a bird, which is already a very good start.