With her invitation in the form of a Little Miss Stella storybook, a witty take on the famous Roger Hargreaves children's books that have sold in their millions worldwide, Stella McCartney's spring collection yesterday was as playful and appealing as its tale of a girl with a gift for making clothes to fit anybody even Little Miss Nobody.
In the City of Light, McCartney's star is in the ascendant, given the imprimatur by the presence of Anna Wintour, the powerful editor of US Vogue, in the front row at her show in the Palais de Chaillot in Trocadero.
An increasingly successful designer whose collection last year for H&M was a sellout and who has another lucrative collaboration with Adidas up her sleeves, McCartney is also a young mother, like many others juggling a career with home life, which gives her collections a perspective lacking in others.
The gaiety of children's wear seemed an inspiration for spring and there was a cheerful touch to her fresh little white halterneck dresses with bucket pockets, khaki dresses more like romper suits in shape and spirit, and a slim jumpsuit of sky blue silk.
But McCartney's emblematic tailoring was also underlined by her sharp rock 'n' roll black suits with skinny trousers, armoury for the workplace worn with string vests or with shorts, a continuing summer trend.
Not that her show was just about clothes for motherhood and work. The designer's romantic side was best illustrated in dresses with a lot of emphasis on shoulder and sleeve details. Her familiar silhouette is a certain blouson shape; it showed in a geometric print dress with a puffed cowl collar and in a hooded khaki coat with pleated bell sleeves.
Smart city girls could find other options like a sporty jacket and shorts, a slim fitting emerald green silk shift or an off the shoulder black linen sundress.
"Seaside Woman" summed up the casual holiday mood.
Everything about this collection showed the hand of a modern, assured designer developing an increasingly confident signature. Little Miss Stella has certainly grown up.
There were changes too at Cacharel where Clements Ribeiro, the Anglo/Brazilian duo, continue to keep the French label fresh and modern. The look was more graphic and less about print and pattern, typified by a yellow patent jacket with shorts or a sporty black shirtwaister dress with pleated skirt.
