McCartney pays tribute to George Michael in Paris
PARIS — The rocking soundtrack blasting out the lyrics “Stella’s On” had guests including Pamela Anderson and Salma Hayek tapping their feet at the gilded Opera Garnier venue in Paris.
It was a knockout, energy-filled show for Stella McCartney — who headlined Monday’s installment of Paris Fashion Week and ended with a bittersweet tribute to the late George Michael.
McCartney styled sublime, unexpected twists on her classic utilitarian/sexy repertoire. Equestrian looks and checked tailored dresses with high necks sported exaggerated proportions in the sleeve. Inventive “secondary lapels” — a lapel repeated several times in parallel — had a surreal quality that evoked a jacket in blurred vision.
The collection perfectly fused high and low. The high — an oil painting masterpiece, “Horse Frightened by a Lion,” that made an appearance in knit and silk crêpe de chine, was framed like a real canvas with square check sleeves. The low — a provocative, stitched conical bust, had guests smiling.
Sensual, yet cerebral — sheer, lace negligées were twinned with thick, wintery baggy pants in an ironic touch that nicely defined this stellar show’s spirit.
In a touching tribute to Michael, who died last year aged 53, the British singer’s hit song “Faith” was pumped up for the finale of McCartney’s collection — that saw models dancing together on the runway to rousing applause. The models congregated in a circle, with arms raised in the air, repeatedly chanting “Faith. Love.”
Michael was particularly highly regarded in fashion for supporting the industry through music videos such as “Freedom” that famously featured models Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista.