Stella McCartney puts provocative twist on the 'open office' at Paris Fashion Week

Independent

05-03-2025

Stella McCartney 's star-studded fall show was a bold statement on power, sensuality, and self-possession. Set inside the 'Stella Corp' offices in northern Paris, the runway blurred the lines between boardroom and nightlife, business and pleasure.
The Paris collection, provocatively titled 'Laptop to Lapdance,' explored the modern working woman's ability to shift seamlessly between roles, embracing both structure and seduction. It was a natural evolution of 1980s power dressing, when broad-shouldered tailoring became the armor of ambition.
Stars among the water coolers
Cameron Diaz, Jeff Koons, Olivia Colman, Kate Moss, Richard E. Grant, and French First Lady Brigitte Macron gathered around desks and buzzing PCs, sipping from water fountains. Possibly the starriest front row of the season, the guest list embodied the high-wattage allure of Paris Fashion Week.
'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.
A very open, open office
McCartney staged her show inside a fully realized corporate office space, complete with whirring PCs, water coolers, and notepads placed on every seat—a detail that made the setting feel lived-in rather than just conceptual. The show's workplace theme was taken to the extreme with actual pole dancers performing inside the space, sending fashion insiders reaching for their cameras, and even had Moss turning snapping her head to the side to get a better look.
Boardroom boss meets after-hours allure
McCartney's take on power dressing blended structure with sensuality. Double-breasted gray jackets, oversized and slightly slouched, were worn against bare skin, reworking suiting into something more subversive. Strong 1980s shoulders projected authority, while low-slung trousers introduced a relaxed, almost undone contrast. The interplay between sharp tailoring and fluid movement defined the collection, with sculptural draping and cinched waists disrupting the rigidity of oversized coats and menswear-inspired pieces.
McCartney leaned into the fantasy of the office as a space for transformation and play, where power is redefined and reclaimed. Glossy, PVC-like vegan stripper boots injected overt sex appeal, while accessories heightened the contrasts—studious glasses with exaggerated faux fur coats, chaps dripping with chains nodding to equestrian heritage and McCartney's signature Falabella bag.
Office hours to power plays
The collection was a study in contrasts—masculine and feminine, professional and personal, control and abandon. Models wove between desks, reinforcing McCartney's belief that a woman shouldn't have to choose between power and pleasure. The setting emphasized fluidity, how a wardrobe must shift throughout the day, adapting to different versions of the same woman.
McCartney's commitment to sustainability remained central, with 96% of the collection crafted from conscious materials. Innovations like recycled silk, organic cotton, and forest-friendly viscose underscored her mission to prove that desirability and ethics are not mutually exclusive.
'You said it, not me!'
McCartney, who recently bought back the share LVMH held in her company, called this 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.
She highlighted the house's emphasis on dressing for day-to-night. 'The date-night thing is really important for my brand because, I think, I want to be women's friends and I want them to rely on me,' she said. 'I want them to wear that suit out to a club.'
The boots embodied the collection's blend of confidence and playfulness. 'Those boots - they grip onto a pole. I think they just do the work for you,' McCartney said, laughing. Asked about the fetishistic undertones, she shrugged. 'You said it, not me! I mean, Jesus, it's all legal as far as I last checked.'
Amid the playful energy, she acknowledged the industry's demands. 'We all work really, really, really, really hard,' she said. 'Like, from when I started to now, it's like, wow, this is a very different industry. And I wanted to kind of celebrate how hard everyone works too.'
Before the night was over, she encouraged guests to take a piece of the office set home. 'I hope you all took the staplers and the mugs,' she joked. 'We need those pens.'