Amongst all the posing and teetering, the Stella McCartney for Adidas SS14 collection brought some disruptive fist-pumping action to the London Fashion Week catwalks. Wanting to prove her functional as well as fashion creds, the designer showcased the outfits via on-stage performances of synchronised swimming, spinning class, running, dancing and yoga.
The energy was in the clothes as much as the models, as bright colours and prints inspired by urban landscapes and skylines flashed before our eyes.
Refreshing our nostalgic, ladylike cliches of synchronised swimming, McCartney showcased the raw power of the female swimmer’s body with black cut-out one-pieces suspended on models upside-down in water tanks; more Damien Hirst than Doris Day.
Pastels became punchy as well as pretty, as gymnasts performed a full mid-air routine wearing super-stretchy shorts, leggings and leotards in pale greys, greens and blues.
In another area of the venue models were put to the test on bikes and treadmills. In their orange hooded tops and navy shorts and leggings, they looked liked fierce urban warriors – a far cry from the hyperventilating farmyard animals most of us evoke in a spinning class.
Of course, this collection is made to look just as good on the street as well as the gym. The joggers’ graphic print leggings, hoodies, sleeveless jackets and trainers, all mix-and-matching in hues of crisp white, navy and neon yellow, would work perfectly on Shoreditch High Street.
This is a collection that spits in the face of sports luxe. Forget your mesh panels and silk tennis dresses. Pull on the real thing, get out there and move.
Words: Leonie Benaiah