Stella McCartney graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1995, after studying fashion design. She has since set up her own high-end brand, which pride themselves of sustainability. Having been a vegetarian all of her life, her company uses no leather, fur or feathers and describe themselves as "...a responsible, honest and modern company", doing all they can to help the environment. I think this is highly admirable, taking into account her success, she remains grounded and true to her beliefs. Flicking through McCartney's website, strong themes became evident to me, including asymmetric designs, bold block colours, prints of animals and nature. This dress is very clean cut and has a sportswear look to it, due to the synthetic fabric and seamless edges. It is plain and structured which gives it quite a clinical look, however this is downplayed by tangerine colour. The mesh reflects the fabrics of sports equipment - a tennis racket or trampoline - and combines the orange block colour with the casual trainer-like sandals. |
Visual Mood Board: colour, fabric and design ideas collated from my research, including performance sportswear fabrics and products.
Screen shot from stellamccartney.com, explaining the company's commitment to sustainability
With McCartney's brand having such a strong emphasis on protecting the environment, I feel this is reflected in her designs. This dress from her collection in AW14 reminds me of waves crashing during a storm in the ocean. The electric blue ripple represents lightning, striking through the darkness of the sky. The chiffon fabric is flimsy and blown around as the model walks, representing wind, one of the largest forces in nature. This fabric is also very delicate which gives the look a femininity to it. The way the fabric has been tie dyed creates the colours to run in organic, uncontrollable shapes which shows the unpredictable power of the weather. This idea is extended through the asymmetric bottom of the dress, giving subtle uneveness. I love the contrast between the unrestricted colour on the dress and the geometric blue stars on the shoes. This continues the theme of nature as it represents the night sky but adds an almost punky, boyish element to the sophisticated look of the dress. |
Sources:
stellamccartney.com
http://searchingforstyle.com/2012/10/stella-mccartney-spring-summer-2013/
http://searchingforstyle.com/2014/03/stella-mccartney-fall-2014/
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2015/ready-to-wear/stella-mccartney
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StormLiveWallpaperHD
http://weddingsinvictoriapalettes.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/orange-palette.html
www.magnumphotos.com
http://www.vendfabricsonline.co.uk/sportswear-fabrics-12-c.asp
stellamccartney.com
http://searchingforstyle.com/2012/10/stella-mccartney-spring-summer-2013/
http://searchingforstyle.com/2014/03/stella-mccartney-fall-2014/
http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/spring-summer-2015/ready-to-wear/stella-mccartney
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.StormLiveWallpaperHD
http://weddingsinvictoriapalettes.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/orange-palette.html
www.magnumphotos.com
http://www.vendfabricsonline.co.uk/sportswear-fabrics-12-c.asp