Fashion
Jun 04, 2022
by Carolina Sandeman
Rewilding and Rechilding Are the Season’s Key Words for Stella McCartney Spring 2023
by Carolina Sandeman
Jun 04, 2022

Stella McCartney has unveiled its collection for Spring 2023. This new launch focuses on the idea of living harmoniously with nature, finding your way back to the innocence of childhood, and embracing the wild parts of our spirits, delving into the concepts of rewilding and rechilding.

The new collection aims to cater to the “untamed” Stella woman that leads her life free of constraints and in tandem with Mother Earth. This goes perfectly hand in hand given that it is also the most sustainable collection the brand has released, being composed of 85 percent conscious materials.

Influenced by the research of naturalist Miriam Rothschild and Knepp Farm–who returned their land to Mother Earth so she could replenish herself and revive the wildlife without interference–McCartney has started working to rewild her own property. This process has led to the inspiration for the new collection, which pairs native flora and fauna with the ingenuity of childhood.

The collection turns to the beautiful colors of flowers, such as sunflower yellow, rose pink, poppy red and lime green, offering a bright and happy color story. The floral inspiration trickles into the collection’s patterns with a vintage-effect floral digital motif. The fauna inspiration comes through in hand-drawn prints of rewilded British animals, including deer, hedgehogs, badgers, hares and lynx. Taking the lynx as a starting point within the feline family, the collection features tiger strip and ocelot spots prints. Birds are also present with goldfinch, woodpecker and kingfisher illustrations.

The rewilding influenced pieces of the collection includes menswear-inspired tailoring, trousers and fluid vests, oversized coats, sequined cutout dresses, all-in-ones, and denim pieces. As for rechilding, this inspiration is conveyed with hand-crocheted flowers, which adorn patchwork dresses, broderie Anglaise details, and bodycon dresses with bubble skirts.

For these pieces the brand used forest-friendly viscose, innovative fur-free fur alternative made using a wool-like material, plant-based denim, recycled polyester, and PVC-free sequins, which contributed to achieving the title of the most sustainable collection to date.

Just like for AW22, the accessories are made from a grape waste leather alternative. The innovative material was used both for bags and trainers, which are adorned with a new symbol that reflects harmony and balance in nature. The collection also features sandals like the puffy soled Air Slides and a fun vegan version of clogs, among others.

With the achievement of the most sustainable collection yet, we’re excited to see how the brand improves upon this marker going forward.