Stella McCartney abides by strict principles when it comes to the female silhouette. There is a dynamic, statuesque feel to her designs that sculpt the body and augment its outline with just the right volume in strategic places.
Even in a fun collection as this week’s Spring-Summer 2016 ready-to-wear, she doesn’t stray far from the body. But when she does, it is mesmeric and fresh.
Two-tone pleated tops and dresses with asymmetrical hemlines stunned with each movement revealing more or less of the secondary color in an ever-changing graphic effect. And when the same pleated material was paired with harem pants inspired bottoms in checks, no less, it resulted in one of the most visually appealing combinations of the season.
Eyelet mesh dresses were the epitome of summer and lightness, yet a real technical feat in their construction. Add that to the fact that the asymmetrical versions lacked none of the balance of the symmetrical pieces, and it becomes clear what and innovative designer McCartney really is.
And there’s one more clever thing that she does: the contrapposto, the “S” curve that is so ubiquitous in classical sculpture, applied in this collection as a diagonal line in the cut of the fabric, instantly imparts fluidity and rhythm, all the more magnified on the sinuous body of a model in movement. Lesson learned.
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