Sweeping in with trademark energy, McCartney wore a classic oversized trench with architectural shoulders. Forgoing formalities, she moved easily through the room—witty, irreverent, quick to compliment guests in their Stella looks. “Don’t be afraid of the big shoulders,” she quipped, gesturing to her own. “A lot of people are, but I love them.” When J.J. Lee stepped forward in a plush pink coat plucked straight from the runway, McCartney beamed. “Did you know it’s made from ocean plastic bottles? You’re the first to wear it—I love you!”

Taking a moment to reflect, she spoke to construction, conscience, and her conviction that sustainability must be a cornerstone of modern luxury. “It’s a really uplifting collection,” she said. “That’s spring and summer to me. There’s a hopefulness to it, like coming back. We’re living in a life right now where we can all have the hope of ‘coming together,’ so that was the theme of the show.” A point of pride: the collection is 98% sustainable—her most environmentally responsible yet.

Lunch followed suit—plant-based, polished, inventive: wafer-thin artichoke mille-feuille dusted with flower pollen; carrot tagliatelle with fig and feta; beetroot toast with cream cheese. Dessert trays of Stella-logoed vanilla shortbread, panna cotta layered with mango and passionfruit, and coffee-chocolate mousse in porcelain cups proved irresistible.

Midway through the visit, Chloe Malle—newly named Head of Editorial Content, American Vogue—arrived. As she and McCartney exchanged greetings and slipped into conversation, a quiet charge ran through the room: a designer long at the forefront of conscious fashion and an editor poised to shape its next chapter. For a moment, time seemed to pause as Vogue100 glimpsed the future of fashion unfolding before them.