Fashion fans and sneakerheads united at Stella McCartney’s new store on Old Bond Street in London for the Stella x Stan Smith event to cop a vegan remake of the classic trainer on Monday night. Upstairs on the second floor, the line snaked its way to the top of the stairwell, where customers were waiting eagerly to meet the duo and get their sneakers signed.
The event was accompanied by sounds from DJ Fabienne, and celebrities in attendance — including Madonna and Ellie Goulding — got their Stan Smiths signed. McCartney and Smith had their sharpies at the ready as Madonna, who was wearing a pair, propped her foot on the table.
Fans snapped and filmed the moment, and many were also heard gushing to McCartney, who was seated in a blue off-the-shoulder vegan-leather dress next to Smith.
“I’m a vegetarian, and when I found out that you were doing this collaboration, I was so excited,” a fan said.
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“I feel like a lot of people have responded very well, and to have my name and my face alongside Stan is such a massive achievement for me on every level. It’s so iconic, and to change something that’s been around and conventionally made out of leather is the new future of Stan Smiths,” McCartney said in an interview.
The vegan Stan Smiths feature perforated stars to the side, McCartney’s logo on the heel and a portrait of Stan Smith and Stella McCartney on the tongue of either foot. The sneakers, which retail for 235 pounds ($309), lined the rippled concrete walls of the store.
Smith was busy signing shoes but still spoke of his adoration for Stella: “She’s very creative, and she was the one who brought up this unusual idea. While we’ve done previous collaborations, it’s the first time that I’ve ever done a shoe with somebody else completely involved. It’s totally vegan and totally amazing, so it’s a historic moment,” he said.
While McCartney has been busy designing the shoe, she has been busy preparing for her spring ’19 ready-to-wear collection, which will be showing at 10 a.m. on Oct. 1 during Paris Fashion Week, which runs from Sept. 24 to Oct. 2. When asked what to expect, McCartney simply responded: “Just something very Stella.”
This story was reported by WWD and originally appeared on WWD.com.
