This November, one of the
most monumental occurrences in fashion takes place. Retail
giant H&M will be employing the services of one Ms.
Stella McCartney to launch an autumn/winter range in a
high street near you. My excitement has reached
fever pitch, yet I need only cast my mind back to November
last year in order to abate my enthusiasm. On the 12th
November 2004 Karl Lagerfeld did the exact same thing,
and brought his own collection to the masses. It was an
incredible success for H&M and the lines sold out within
days. I knew about the launch months in advance and had
the date marked in bold red pen in my diary, and at one
point had a daily count down chart to the big event. On
the day I found myself swathed in disappointment. To me,
the whole collection was rather uninspiring. The prices
were good, as shoppers have come to expect from H&M,
but Lagerfeld’s
collection was (dare I say it?) dull. This year I have
felt the exact same anticipation mounting. I have poured
over the magazine advertisements for McCartney’s
limited collection and it looks anything but dull. I
even have a list of the garments that I’m going
to make a beeline for: wool blazer with satin lapels £59.99,
satin jumpsuit £39.99, skinny fit checked trousers £34.99
and my most wanted item — a cardigan/sweater dress
for £59.99
which is a look-alike of one in McCartney’s Bruton
Street boutique selling at around £500.
I just know that this year will
be different. After all, this is Stella McCartney we’re
talking about; the girl whose 1995 graduation show from
Central St Martins hit the headlines — not only because
her parents (Sir Paul and Linda McCartney) were in attendance,
and not only because her friends modelled the collection
for her (Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss), but because this
was a girl who clearly knew her craft. The collection was
bought by stores including Browns, Joseph and Neiman Marcus.
At just fifteen years old when most of us were still toying
with experimental hair, clothes and make-up, Stella was
working with Christian Lacroix on his debut collection and undertaking
an apprenticeship on Saville Row.
This November will not be the first
time McCartney has succeeded Lagerfeld: she followed him as Chief
Designer at fashion house Chloe in March 1997. Her appointment was
a triumph, not only in terms of increased sales and profile for the
French couturists, but it showcased McCartney as a serious player
amongst the world’s fashion elite.
In 2003 McCartney launched
a flagship store in Mayfair under her own name in a joint venture
with the Gucci Group. It was her updating of the trouser suit that
set tongues wagging after her Paris show in 1997, and her continued
reinvention of the look finds its way into H&M stores this month.
Now I find that I am beside myself
with excitement again! Whereas Lagerfeld’s collection
was a success, I feel that McCartney’s will be colossal.
Armed with my credit card and plans for tactical use of
the elbow, I’m pitching up outside H&M, nothing
and no-one will stop me from buying that much-coveted
sweater dress!
