Stella McCartney’s Monday morning show had already exhausted fashionistas reaching for their coffee cups, but the real wake-up came in the show.
It was a superb collection of 39 original looks brimming with bright, new ideas.
One of the first styles introduced a new silhouette: an exaggeratedly round shoulder with curved voluminous arms, separated stiffly from the torso in thick white fabric with a corset-like waist.
It was achieved by very intricate structuring, and repeated in beige, sand and khaki in various forms.
Another key idea was the huge, dramatic drawstring on the waist of skirts — adding a touch of McCartney’s signature utilitarian or sporty styles.
The chic looseness of the looks was also beautiful. A trapeze-shaped look in off-white that was back-heavy flourished down the body into voluminous gathered layers that gave it a three-dimensional quality.
The only drawback in the display in what was one of the best shows of the season was the series of Colored printed looks, and only because they detracted from the beauty of the silhouettes.
The finale? Pure joy, as the models did a freestyle dance down the runway that had even the poker-faced US Vogue Editor Anna Wintour smiling.