Stella McCartney Brings Live Horses to Paris Fashion Week

Paris Fashion Week

Mar 6

Designer Stella McCartney had her Fall 2023 ready to wear show for her namesake brand in the Manège de l’École Militaire, the oldest riding school in Paris. The show entitled “Horse Power” featured models walking through the Parisian stable’s dirt paths next to live horses. The designer invited horse rescuer and “whisperer” Jean - François Pignon and seven of his horses onto her runway set. The set worked to connect the audience with nature and to celebrate McCartney’s love for animals and equestrianism. This collection was a way for McCartney to go back to her equestrian roots and to highlight the brand's mission for increased sustainability and the protection of animal lives.

The collection continues with the equestrian theme with various fabrics inspired by horse’s coats, horse motifs throughout the show and outfits inspired by equestrian uniforms. It was also inspired by military uniforms or regalia with wide shouldered blazers and loose trousers. The collection combined preppy with sporty styling and was also full of neutral Savile Row tailoring that mixed masculine and feminine fashion. She worked to include photography from her mother Linda and her sister Mary McCartney and garments inspired by her past collections and designs. The collection felt personal from the designer. Any viewers can see the love in the designs and garments and how important animals are to McCartney throughout the collection.

About the collection, McCartney said, “Our relationship to all our fellow creatures, we wanted to make a connection because there is so much leather and fur and feathers on the runway, especially in winter, and I wanted to show you could do it in a different way and just as luxurious,” she said. “...Anyone who has a pet, can you get them to do what he [Pignon] did? I was watching the rehearsals and my dog wouldn’t stand that long. They are his pets, his babies. I watched him against all the regalia of horse jumping, and the magnificence to that side of equestrians and he came into the arena with wild horses running around, these incredible trusting creatures, and he blew me away. This is what he does, they perform together and are a family.”

Stella McCartney has been a pioneer and advocate for sustainable fashion, animal welfare and technological advancements in the industry for years. For instance, in this collection, she featured new vegan bags made from plant based leather alternatives such as Mylo, MIRUM and AppleSkin. These are the first luxury brands bags to be made from these materials. Her collection was promoted as cruelty free and as a celebration for the lives of animals. According to WWD, this collection was made out of 89% responsible materials. The use of live horses was used to emphasize the brand’s message of social responsibility to the planet. Stella McCartney continues to use her platform and collections to show that the coexistence of live animals and fashion is possible for the industry’s future.

Here are the looks from the show: