A longtime fashion industry rumor was just confirmed — and we can all relax, because it has nothing to do with a designer reshuffle. It's Stella McCartney: The British designer is growing her business by officially launching menswear later this year, The New York Times reports.
The designer announced the new category expansion in Florence at Pitti Uomo, one of the most important menswear trade shows in the world. (Raf Simons is also there, presenting his first post-Dior venture — which, unfortunately for his devoted female fan base, won't include womenswear for now.) Rumors of McCartney's impending move into menswear have been swirling since the fall '16 shows, according to WWD. McCartney herself acknowledges that it's been a long time coming: "The desire to marry the Stella woman to a man has been inside me since the very beginning," she told the Times.
The Central Saint Martins grad actually got her start on London's legendary Savile Row before moving on to become creative director of Chloé in 1997. McCartney's tailoring background is certainly felt in her women's suiting, a staple offering of her namesake brand. However, unless you were Stella's father, husband, the British Olympic team, or the late David Bowie, you weren't getting hands on the designer's menswear looks, which, per The Times, tended to be one-off or special-occasion creations.
This new customer base can expect the same commitment to great fit and timeless silhouettes, as well as to ethical fabrications. (Stella McCartney the label bills itself as "a vegetarian company," and is known for its leather-free and "fur-free fur" collections.) There will be some differences between the men's and women's lines — specifically in terms of presentation style. The mens' threads show alongside Stella McCartney pre-seasons bi-annually, but without thematic ties to a specific season. The clothes will also be sold shortly after they hit the runway, according to a statement from the brand. (And you thought we were just about done with all that "see now, buy now" talk...) Its big debut is set for November 10.
There's no official imagery of McCartney's first official dip into menswear (outside of the few bespoke ensembles from the past that fueled speculation in the first place), so we'll have to be patient — or, at least, keep refreshing Instagram.