Stella McCartney Spring 2015 Collection

 Stella McCartney is a stalwart fashion realist. She sees herself in the service of, and in sartorial cahoots with, women like herself  women with busy lives in need of fashion that works.

That long held ethos served both the designer and her clients beautifully for spring, as she developed a number of fresh, appealing motifs. McCartney is big on ease, especially for summer  which is what she calls her runway collection  and sought to capture “the season’s true spirit,” according to her program notes. That meant graceful, unfettered silhouettes that were shapely  but not tight  on tops over pants and skirts cut with volume.

McCartney did her part for the denim craze with crisp looks dressed up just enough with asymmetric and graphic appliqués. Often, she added a touch of tough to the structure with big, demonstrative buckle closures.

Summer ease is nothing without a little flou, delivered here in delightfully floaty dresses and separates in unfussy pastel plaids. And Stella McCartney updated the Sweater Girl to fabulous effect, deftly slashing and knotting dresses, tunics and skirts to reveal glimpses of skin. The result was a confident, relaxed sensuality.