Stella McCartney brings 7 wild horses to Paris Fashion Week

Earthy scents pricked guests’ noses as they entered the venue for Stella McCartney: A manege. Shivers from the cold were quickly succeeded by gasps, when seven horses suddenly galloped in from a side door followed by an exuberant handler.

The show that incorporated equestrian themes was a visual and sensory statement from McCartney, a prominent animal rights campaigner.

Here are some highlights of Paris Fashion Week shows Monday:

MCCARTNEY'S SOFTNESS AND HARDNESS

Vibrant designs showcased on the brown manege sand drew inspiration not only from horses -- with equine motifs, horse blanket patination inspiring wool looks and marbled patterns resembling horses’ coats — but also the world of show jumping.

McCartney used the sport’s pomp and regalia to inspire a collection that harked to her tailoring background.

A double-breasted jacket had sharp shoulders nipped above the waist with a diagonal dynamic, mixing masculine and feminine. Takes on regalia and the military included a men’s white lilac tailored show jumping jacket.

The sense of “softness and a hardness, of male versus female,” a touchstone of the LVMH-owned fashion house, was captured also by the horses themselves, McCartney said.

Bags used vegan leather alternatives, such as MIRUM, a plant-based technology, AppleSkin, an apple-based material that creates a crocodile effect.

This was an optimistic collection — with flashes of eye-popping citrine and vermillion — that never lectured but celebrated living in harmony.

STELLA’S WILD, WILD HORSES

“Have you even seen a wild horse at a fashion show, or a whisperer?” McCartney asked the stunned fashion press on a crowded balcony above the manege that still smelled of horse. She said organizers called her “crazy” for attempting to get wild horses to a show.

Yet McCartney said fall-winter in particular seemed a good time to highlight cruelty-free designs with the unique spectacle of wild animals living, breathing and playing together.

“I really wanted to make a connection with our fellow creatures because there is so much leather and fur and feathers on the runway, especially in winter,” McCartney told Associated Press. “I wanted to show that you can do (fashion) in a different way you don’t need to kill anything and it can be (just) as luxurious.”

McCartney said the horses had many personal meanings to her, from the photography of her mother Linda and sister Mary to “being British,” speaking to the love for horses that runs deep in the U.K.

She said the message of the horses “is that they’re alive and the clothes haven’t killed anything so there’s a kind of celebration of everything living in harmony with one another.”

The horse handler was a star of the show. McCartney said she first saw him at a London horse show and was impressed with his work. “They are his wild horses. He doesn’t use any bridles, any saddles and he’s a horse whisperer ... They’re his little babies,” she said. “I can’t even get my dog to do that.”

AZ FACTORY

There’s still a bitter-sweet tinge at AZ Factory shows. The brand was created by designer Alber Elbaz just before his 2021 death from COVID.

Elbaz, still reeling from his ouster as longtime Lanvin designer, had wanted to make a brand touting a new way of doing luxury – easier on designers, body positive, and more affordable. AZ Factory was just that. Since his death, guest designers have moonlighted for the brand, remaining faithful to its ethos, and Elbaz is still felt in the house spirit.

On Monday, ruffles, toggles, belts and ties brought a utilitarian dimension to the soft ready-to-wear designs. There was a sense of relaxation running throughout as the models walked nonchalantly in low-key platform sandals.

A furry coat with swirling pink motif and inbuilt scarf became a total look, covering the model completely with ankle warmers in the same material. It was fun and tactile.