Horse Play, The Stella Way
Review of Stella McCartney Fall 2026 Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
Presented at the Grand Manège Jean Caucanas, Stella McCartney harnessed the Year of the Horse for fall 2026. Bringing it to life through a synchronised all-horse performance by equestrian artist Jean-François Pignon, with the show a form of “equine therapy,” reconnecting guests to the human-animal bond.
What unfolded was an autobiographical retailing of McCartneys life as she traced her journey from her Scottish childhood to formative internships with Christian Lacroix and Yves Saint Laurent, channeling the bold silhouettes of the 1980s through her signature lens of conscious luxury. Proposing a wardrobe that embraces strength without sacrificing empathy, unwavering in its respect for the planet.
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Equestrian Elegance, Posh Preppy, Joyousness
A few days before her fall show Stella McCartney posted teasers onto the brands Instagram feed of short clips from the animated 1980s series, My Little Pony. Couple this with the show invitation that consisted of a real-life My Little Pony toy – a Hasbro collaboration complete with comb and sticker – and you could be forgiven that today’s show was set to be a deep dive into the world of whimsy. Featuring a set design akin to that of the joy-filled Diesel showspace from just one week ago in Milan and graphic T-shirts that called back to her tongue-in-cheek pineapple and banana printed jerseys for Chloé. But these references were simply a metaphor for her love of the equestrian that started in childhood.
Its kismet that this year the designers lifelong love of the equine now aligns with the Year of the Horse according to the Chinese Zodiac. Presented at the Grand Manège Jean Caucanas the designer revisited her fall 2023 concept and invited her guests to escape the chaos of the external world and experience the human-horse connection. Throughout the show a synchronised performance of black and white horses, led by equestrian artist Jean-François Pignon, heightened the emotion of the runway experience, a sort of “equine therapy” as the designer put it. The designers early years spent riding horses on the family farm in Scotland gave her an early connection – and fierce loyalty – to animals of all kinds. Informing her work and use of sustainable and low-impact materials within her collections.
McCartneys formative years were brought together in a fall collection that riffed on 80s extravagance, posh preppy, sportswear, and her background in Savile Row tailoring learned from Edward Sexton. Telling The Impression backstage “This show started with my birth, and I was just really inspired to talk about my life in clothes and the journey of the wardrobe, from the beginning to the middle and the now.”
The collection was a modern re-telling of the eighties that has come roaring back into the zeitgeist. The power suiting, the extravagant furs, the machismo attitude. But as one of the few women designing for women McCartney reflected “I want to feel like I’m actually really embracing women through these collections more and more.” Referring to the show as ‘joyous” the clothes took on the structure of the decade and softened the edges with fur-trimmed peplums, and shaggy mane-like knits, to her satin strong-shouldered blouses and preppy rugby tops, the collection was one of easy femininity. A standout was the blue polka-dot pussy-bow blouse that was reminiscent of Princess Diana and the innovative stirrup jeans – made form 100% pre-and post-consumer recycled waste made via a waterless process. Her mission this season (as with every season) was for the guests to enjoy the clothes without sacrificing her values “It’s a very joyous show, I wanted you guys to enjoy it and I don’t want the planet to suffer because of it. So I hope the entire thing, when it comes together, is one of joy and one of respect.”
THE QUOTE
There was a period of growing up in Scotland and the scarves that were a real nod to my mum and my dad. And then when I was 15, I interned for (Christian) Lacroix and Yves Saint Laurent for couture here in Paris. So, the whole beginning is a very 80s, moment as that really had a massive impact on me wanting to be a fashion designer, and then by the end we ask what’s going to happen next? So, it was just the coming together of a stellar wardrobe.
THE WRAP UP
When speaking post-show, the designer took a moment to reflect on her steadfast commitment to her sustainable mission, saying “I probably don’t give myself enough credit as I think that I’ve been doing this for so long, and I think that it’s in every single thing that we do at Stella, every single moment from beginning to end and then on. So I think that I’m extremely proud of everything we do at Stella McCartney.” Seeing as she is one of the few designers to continue innovating, when it comes to the sustainable fabrics and processes, she uses with her collections, long after it stopped being on-trend to do so.
Accepting that “there’s enough talking going on, and there’s not a lot of actually doing,” McCartney has kept her word to deliver on the promise of showing what a more sustainable industry can look like. And in the Year of the Horse, with heavy equestrian symbolism throughout her show there remains a determination to run her race, even if she goes it alone.
