A Stella Performance from McCartney at London Fashion Week

Stella McCartney wrapped up London Fashion Week last night with her spring/summer sportswear collection for Adidas, and shunned the traditional catwalk. She chose instead to convert a cavernous west London fitness centre into an astro-turfed miniature golf course to flaunt her flirty fitness compilation to the fashion elite.

PARTY revellers – including a throng of celebs, stylists, press, papz and inevitable hangers-on – congregated at the culmination of the six-day style event to clock models lounging about in swimsuits, tennis skirts, jogging bottoms and shorts, adopting yoga poses, and practicing their golf swing. Along with pop poppet Prince’s surprise performance at Matthew Williamson’s show earlier in the week, this was a surreal but winning moment.

Allegra Hicks, Asprey and Biba all unveiled their latest collections throughout Thursday, as well as designer duo Antoni and Alison, whose show featured a surprise guest appearance from Nicole Kidman in a special short film for their spring collection.

But it was the host of promising newcomers, such as Gareth Pugh, Marios Schwab, Duro Olowu and Osman Yousefzada that truly transformed London Fashion Week from international underdog to celebrated success story. Thanks to the achievements of the capital’s new student design clique from the principal fashion colleges (Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art), Britain’s bright young things have proven that good old English eccentricity is undeniably alive and well.

First published on The London Word, September 2007.
© Abbey Stirling