The collection underscores the British fashion designer’s belief that women can be both powerful and desirable, professional and sensuous.
The modern working woman who embraces and excels in multiple roles takes the spotlight at Stella McCartney’s Fall/Winter 2025 show in Paris.
Known for being a quintessential modern working woman herself, the British designer also saw like-minded A-listers gather to witness the launch of her new runway collection. There’s French First Lady Brigitte Macron, Oscar-winning actress Olivia Colman, supermodel Kate Moss, rapper Ice Spice, and Hollywood star Cameron Diaz, who made a fashion week comeback after a 13-year absence in a statement red dress. Though not women, other power players spotted in the front row were American artist Jeff Koons and Swaziland-born English actor Richard E. Grant.
“I’m so bowled over to be here to support Stella. I’ve been coming to Paris since I was 19,” Diaz told The Associated Press.
Related story: Compassion for birds shapes Stella McCartney’s S/S25 collection
Related story: ‘Corpcore’ is the modern take on workwear. Here’s how to nail it
Aptly titled “Laptop to Lapdance,” the show is an ode to how today’s woman has power, sensuality, and agency, enabling her to seamlessly switch between roles. Set inside an impressive corporate office space in northern Paris, the runway melded structure and sensuality, business and pleasure. It screamed the message: “Work hard; Play harder.”
There were PCs and water coolers, every seat even had a notepad. True to its theme of blurring the lines between work and leisure, there was a stray sex toy, too, and pole dancers in sparkly leotards who gave a sensuous performance. Commenting on the pole dancing, the 53-year-old London-born and -based fashion designer was quoted by Reuters as saying that she wanted to put the spotlight on exotic dancing, rather than exotic skins, the use of which has “just got to end.”
McCartney, who is the daughter of music legend Paul McCartney and animal rights activist Linda McCartney, is known for her sharp tailoring as much as she is for her sustainability and animal rights advocacies. She also famously does not use leather or fur.
It was expected then for her F/W 2025 collection to be in keeping with her commitment to sustainability, with 96% of the collection crafted from conscious materials. There was the use of innovative eco-friendly materials such as recycled silk, organic cotton, and forest-friendly viscose, emphasizing her mission to prove that “desirability and ethics are not mutually exclusive.”
Related story: Going green: London Fashion Week adopts brand sustainability requirements
Related story: A long overdue shift: Secondhand fashion takes on London Fashion Week’s runways
Related story: Another fashion controversy: Major brands linked to alleged child labor in cotton farms
The collection was all about power dressing. The runway saw oversized, double-breasted gray jackets, voluminous coats, business suits, and menswear-inspired pieces. But there were also fun pieces that would be perfect for a Friday after-office night out: relaxed jeans, mop-like tops, slogan T-shirts, party dresses with ‘80s shoulders.
Related story: Prada promotes sustainability through ocean literacy, regenerated nylon
Related story: The past and future collide in Rakuten Tokyo Fashion Week
Related story: Japanese label CFCL’s S/S 2025 collection shows us that sustainable can be stylish, too
The show is McCartney’s first since announcing in January her repurchasing of the share LVMH held in her company, but she continues to advise LVMH on sustainability matters. She called the collection her first truly independent vision since college. “I was looking at what I do, knowing this is my first show ever alone, other than when I left college,” she said, as quoted in the same The Associated Press report.
More than what promises to be another hit collection, Stella McCartney’s latest F/W repertoire reinforces her belief that a woman shouldn’t be torn between power and pleasure, structure and sensuality. She can be great at both.
Watch the full show here:
