This was the invitation to die for, and some of us were nearly killed in the crush. As part of Paris fashion week, the latest English designer to cross the English Channel, Stella McCartney, yesterday morning presented her first collection for Chloe. The French house has been in desperate need of a revival in its fortunes, and after Karl Lagerfeld announced at the start of the year that he would no longer be working for Chloe, there was keen interest in who might succeed him.
Last April the appointment was given to McCartney, a little-known 25-year-old who had graduated from art college in 1995 and produced only a couple of collections since. But if the work was unfamiliar, the name was not.
Chloe's new designer just happens to be the youngest child of ex-Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney. The connection led to widespread speculation in the French fashion press about her abilities - hence the struggle to gain admission to the Opera Garnier for yesterday's show. Even though his symphonic poem, Standing Stone, had been premiered in London the night before, Sir Paul flew over to support his daughter, accompanied by her mother, Linda, to whom the collection was dedicated, and who was wearing a grey trouser suit from the new Chloe line.
Their presence drove the assembled paparazzi into a frenzy of snapping and, as befits her first name, McCartney's Paris debut drew a stellar line-up in the front-row seats. A second former Beatle, Ringo Starr, and his wife Barbara Bach came along, as did Kylie Minogue and Meg Matthews, wife of Oasis's Noel Gallagher.
While McCartney's impressive circle of friends clearly adored what they saw (and gave her a standing ovation at the end to prove it), reaction elsewhere was understandably more muted. She had declared in advance: "To be positive, be a sexy lady, this is all I really want to achieve." Since so many of her designs are based around lingerie, this ambition would not be difficult to fulfil. Some of the prettiest pieces were little satin crepe lace-edged slip dresses and full-length devore satin peignoirs. The other principal theme was the flared-leg trouser suit with nipped waist and square-shouldered jacket. Midway through the show a certain repetitive quality began to be felt as the same style of work came out again and again. What this young designer needs is more time and less public attention in order to broaden her repertoire. Fewer celebrities at her next show would probably also help.