While the requirements for models are (finally) shifting, one deficit remains the same: dancing is not always their strong suit. But at Stella McCartney's spring 2017 presentation during Paris Fashion Week, someone must have told them it was time to get in formation, because the show ended with a dance choreographed by the models themselves.
As much as we hate to admit it, Fashion Month can grow stale by week four. But with grins on their faces and wind in their hair, models Binx Walton, Janiece Dilone, Edie Campbell, and more cast off their Fashion-Week fatigue and celebrated in a joyous dance-off.
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Without distracting from the clothes themselves, wrapping with a dance number is actually a brilliant idea. Why not set the clothes in motion, since women must be able to do more than walk in them, after all. Some key takeaways were McCartney's clever use of patterns (oversized and, in some cases, inverted polka dots on jumpsuits and checkerboard heels), arcade-like graphics (which will be a hit with millennials who can afford them), and the "no leather, no fur" message, which was emblazoned on garments throughout.
McCartney is proudly anti-harm when it comes to using animal-derived textiles in her clothes. For her fall 2015 collection, she sent head-to-toe synthetic fur down the runway with "fur-free fur" stitched somewhere visible. (This could be particularly helpful if you happen to be famous — like, say, Anna Wintour or Samantha Jones — and in the presence of protestors as you enter and exit shows.)
But back to the dancing.
Every season, the relevance and evolution of Fashion Month is discussed and debated at length, but this time around, we're just glad that McCartney gave the models a chance to let loose. The designer's spring 2017 show combined über-functional clothing with a simple — yet, sometimes, necessary — ingredient: some good ol' fun.