The Future is Female (and Sustainable): Stella McCartney SS26

Look 39

Stella McCartney’s Spring/Summer 2026 show opened with a statement: Helen Mirren reciting “Come Together” by The Beatles. Poetry as fashion. Activism as art. From that very first moment, it was more than fashion, it was a movement. Held at the Centre Pompidou, a venue dripping in cultural weight and modernity, the tone was set: this was going to be more than just a collection. It was going to mean something.

Opening the runway was Apolline Rocco Fohrer - giving full Gisele Bündchen energy with her powerful, horse-like stomp. She wore a two-piece pinstripe suit with a belted peplum blazer cinched at the waist. It was full boss-woman energy, a clear declaration of the show's central theme: power. Femininity. Purpose. 

Watch the entire show here -

What followed was a seamless blend of masculine tailoring and feminine ease - boxy suits, wide trousers, ‘80s-style shirts. Think businesswoman meets downtown it-girl. Silhouettes ranged from sharp to slouchy, and the colour palette danced between soft pastels, earthy neutrals, and bold pops. Eveningwear was sculpted in satin, while sheer fabrics and pollutant-absorbing textiles (like PURE.TECH) quietly reinforced the message: fashion doesn’t have to harm the planet to make an impact.

There were show-stopping pieces like Look 7’s cascading lilac dress and sequinned mini dresses in flirty pinks. The denim was exceptional - perfectly cut jeans that draped with effortless cool. Everything felt like it was made for an it girl. Even when casual, it screamed empowered! And then came the pom-poms. Models dressed like human pom-poms. Look 17 (below) featured a giant teal wearable puffball, later repeated in pink and cream. So absurd, so fabulous. Wear that to dinner and you're the main event, no question.

All my favourite looks: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 10, 16, 17, 18, 20, 24, 25, 30, 31, 36, 39, 42, 48, 50

The collection had this brilliant duality: one half powerful CEO in tailoring and gloves, the other half pastel-loving marshmallow girl heading out for cocktails. (Look 4 - left - literally looked like a marshmallow, in the best possible way.) But whether dressed for business or play, each look carried the same energy: unapologetic confidence.

Refined tailoring, of course, is where Stella shines. Peplum shirts in Looks 18 (below) and 20 were instant must-haves. And then there was Look 39 (above): a tufted black two-piece peplum suit that practically radiated luxury. The texture, the silhouette, the attitude of the model wearing it - I was obsessed. Stella is simply the master of modern tailoring.

Florals (for spring? Groundbreaking!) made a brief but welcome appearance in Looks 25 and 28: one a mini, one a maxi, both exquisitely cut and catering to opposite ends of the feminine spectrum. And as for the accessories? Most were subtle, but then came the giant fringe bags (Look 31 - below), tassels grazing the floor as the model glided. Iconic. I need one.

Toward the finale, the feathered gowns emerged - including a divine lilac maxi worn by mother Alex Consani (below) to close the show. Light as air, yet completely animal-free. McCartney worked with UK startup Fevvers to debut a plant-based feather alternative, and it moved just like the real thing. This was scientifically and ethically forward-thinking.

The entire collection was 100% cruelty-free, with no leather, fur, feathers, or exotic skins. Depending on the source, it was either 91% or 98% sustainable, which is staggering for a collection of this scale and polish. Stella, our sustainable seamstress!

And then, in true Stella style, the finale walk flipped the script - models returned in a different order, with Amelia Gray somehow finding herself at the front. A small touch, that I noticed but was this done on purpose? We may never know!

With SS26, Stella McCartney is becoming THE leader in sustainable fashion. This collection didn’t just do less harm; it did something new. Something exciting. Something bold. It fused high fashion with ethical innovation, activism with accessibility, glamour with meaning. The message was clear: you can be empowered in anything - tailored or tulle, business or play - as long as it’s done with purpose!

Stella isn’t just changing the way we dress. She’s changing the way we think about what dressing can do, and that is 1000% what the media needs to focus more on!

With love, 

Mimi x