Stella McCartney and Yoshitomo Nara come together once again for Spring Summer 2023, evolving their sold-out collaboration from two years ago through a second unisex capsule featuring the legendary Japanese artist’s work. The Yoshitomo Nara x Stella McCartney wardrobe brings attention to meaningful issues, with the cheeky resistance and youthful rebelliousness of his illustrations uniting a new generation of changemakers around shared activism, aesthetics and a love for animals. The capsule is complemented by Summer 2023 runway pieces as well as a mini-me offering for Stella McCartney Kids, both arriving in early 2023.
Fashion and fun imagery become vehicles for powerful messages, provoking thought, conversation and urgently needed action. This is expressed with a free-spirited, punk attitude and mutual admiration through Stella wardrobe essentials featuring iconic Nara drawings selected by the artist – setting the collection’s tone through signature sinister children, creatures and countercultural slogans.
“Stella has an iron will, with heart. In our first collaboration, Stella chose which of my artworks she wanted to use and played around with them freely when integrating them into her designs. This time, I selected the artworks I wanted her to use and she once again had the freedom to place them as she wished in her pieces.” – Yoshitomo Nara
Bridging art, subculture and street culture, Yoshitomo Nara is fluent in the style of youth in revolt – valorising non-conformity, free thought and individuality. Disrupting the worlds of luxury and art, he partnered with Stella McCartney in Spring Summer 2021 on his first-ever fashion collaboration. His vision is united with Stella’s values again across a concise edit of rare collector’s items, including ready to wear and vegan accessories elevated with richer textiles and techniques.
A progressive generation of conscious fashion rises up in a neutral palette, including organic cotton jersey t-shirts, fleece hoodies and joggers featuring Nara illustrations of gazing girls, children dressed as animals and timely anti-war messaging like “STOP THE BOMBS”. This continues on plant-based poplin shirting and shorts, classic wash wide-legged denim and silky daytime pyjama sets in gradient soft pink, alongside a graphic double-faced bomber with vegan Alter Mat sleeves. Knitwear features ironic illustrations of sheep, rabbits and other animals on crewneck jumpers, ribbed organic cotton rollnecks and marled grey vests.
Expressing a love for animals are vegan accessories made entirely from cruelty-free materials, including iconic Elyse platforms, recyclable Loop trainers, Gaia espadrilles and Fur-Free Fur pool slides featuring Nara drawings. This continues in canvas bucket hats, caps and tote bags crafted from organic cotton and recycled materials.
