Did you see that gravity-defying dress Stella McCartney wore to the Met Gala? She stood beside Mary J. Blige, who wore an ivory Stella McCartney tuxedo and coat. McCartney’s white dress, made from sustainable viscose, seemed to float around her—held up by a wired off-the-shoulder frame, plunging deep at the front, then cascading into a luxurious draped silhouette.

So how did it stay on? “It’s architectural, almost like a Christo installation,” she explained over Zoom. “It’s suspended from a corset that lifts and shapes you, extending beyond the bust to create this dramatic effect. I love its simplicity—and its drama.” Turns out, she was testing the prototype at the Met. “It feels so wearable once it’s on. It’s hard to design a dress that feels modern yet still like you.”

This dress, along with other wired-neckline designs, appears in her pre-spring collection. Since going independent, McCartney has sharpened her focus on what defines her brand: “Playing to our strengths—clear, distinctive, with attitude. It’s about having a strong point of view, something I’ve always had as Stella. And that effortlessness, too.”

No room for dilution here. Titled A Walk on the Wild Side, the collection nods to her love of nature, animals, and bold, sexy style. It echoes shapes from her last runway show—what she calls “Laptop to Lapdance” (Stella-speak for day-to-evening wear). Need to carry your laptop? There’s an expanded Ryder bag in recycled faux suede or mushroom-based “ostrich” leather. “We’re an activist brand and an artistic brand. You can be both.”

The lineup covers every scenario—96% sustainable materials, 100% cruelty-free. Think sharp tailoring (inspired by her parents’ Tommy Nutter suits), a white midi-dress with a dipped back hem, and sweatshirts with knitwear cleverly woven into the front. Loving animals doesn’t stop her from loving animal prints—last season’s snake gives way to oversized ocelot, scanned from the cat’s striking markings.

Eveningwear spans the spectrum, from body-hugging minis (a throwback to ’80s and 2000s London disco-dressing) to lingerie-inspired contour dresses. “Super simple—power mesh, suck-you-in, hot, sexy, toss-it-in-your-bag dresses,” she says. A new generation can now embrace this; if they were born in 2000, they’re 25—the same age as her brand.

Denim gets a bold upgrade, with faux-leather “chaps” jeans and fierce cross-laced styles. A tank top in this section reads HARDCORE—playful, yes, but even here, McCartney’s eco-commitment shines. The black print uses Living Ink, a non-toxic dye made from spirulina waste, a byproduct of the supplement industry.