What I wore to Stella McCartney W19 Paris

What does one wear to meet the coolest queen and supreme ruler of the sustainable fashion world? Enter Danyuan Chan, 2019 MA graduate from London College of Fashion. 

The outfit I chose is 100% sustainable and 100% genius. That makes 200% fashion perfection.

The fabric

Danyuan designed the fabric based on traditional African prints and juxtaposed it with modern neon stitching. Every scrap of fabric was used – zero waste from this outfit. It can be done!

The cape

This is a feat of engineering with spectacular origami thrown in. The cape can be a waistcoat, a stole, a bondage-esque top, with sleeves, without sleeves… There are buttons down the back, the front, the sleeves and probably in places I have yet to discover.  It’s your very own fashion Tardis to dive into and button up in myriad ways, creating different shapes and styles. Utter genius.

The dress

Ok let’s start with the boob flaps (technical term). I love the flirty, feminine fun they bring to the outfit but, in case you’re wondering, no I won’t be wearing this without a bra. Ever. And besides, I like having the option of other colours and fabrics giving you a little wink from under the dress.

To create a flattering silhouette and add extra embellishment, a panel of very fine mesh is sewn down the side of the dress with pretty velvet flowers cut from vintage fabric dotted around.

The seaming is exceptionally clever, creating exaggerated volume in the skirt to contrast with the fitted waistline. And it has one great, big pocket. *sigh*

The tights

Yes, these deserve a paragraph of their own. You are looking at velvet tights, printed and created to go with the outfit. *another sigh*

The shoes

They’re Stella’s, of course. I chose them because I wanted to show off the tights in all their glory. Transparent shoes are flattering because they extend the length of your leg all the way down to your toes, rather than cutting it off at the point that the shoe starts. Be warned though, you need heel grips if you plan to do anything radical, like actually walk in these muthas.

The bag

I took my second hand Charlotte Olympia perspex box bag to go with the shoes and not detract or compete from the rest of the outfit (it does look a bit Gucci with the bamboo clasp). Obviously I needed to go minimalist with the contents – phone and card holder only. And I cleverly lent my friend a much bigger bag so she could carry the rest of my worldly possessions.

The hat

CONVERSION ALERT! A black hat to tie in with my black bra which was busy playing peek-a-boo(b). I bought this hat a while ago from Jeanne of Bellapacella at the Clerkenwell Vintage Fair and decided to give it a quick conversion at 11pm the night before the show (of course). I sewed a thick piece of black elastic around the back of the hat turning it into more of a hairband which felt less vintage and more on trend.

So there you go… What do you think of the outfit? Kiss, marry, avoid? Let me know below!

You can see Danyuan’s designs from her final MA show here.

Check out Stella McCartney’s supercycled clothes in her Winter 2019 show at Paris Fashion Week.

Follow Converted Closet on YouTube for sustainable fashion videos.