Stella McCartney’s collection dazzled with a swirling, whirling parade of halter-necks, minidresses and floor-grazing sundresses. All were in a blaze of hand-painted roses and wisteria, printed on silk and chiffon. Giant ruffles were seen on necks, around knees and ankles, with bared shoulders.

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Bright orange busters came with loose, cropped trousers in strawberry-pink silk. There was a strapless, A-line dress in electric blue, with silk shantung; and a similar, ruffle-front jacket was paired with violet silk, crepe-de-chine trousers.

McCartney showed her softer side with a new, wrap-over trouser, in beige and cream; plunge-neck lace blouses in white and cream; and a coffee, ribbed vest, worn with culottes in chocolate linen. Lively romper-suits, long T-shirt dresses and crossover body, with ruffled edges came in stonewashed, shadow-dyed, cotton and stretch-knit.

The show was held in Palais de Tokyo, where a celebrity-packed front row drew the attention. Her father, Sir Paul McCartney, and his girlfriend, Nancy Shevell; the author JK Rowling; the actresses, Gwyneth Paltrow and Charlotte Rampling; Princess Caroline of Monaco; Twiggy; Dasha Zhukova, girlfriend of Roman Abramovich; Yasmin Le Bon; and Laura Bailey, all embraced the front row for Stella’s show.

For autumn, Stella McCartney put aside the sportier sensibility and embraced the twin passions with which she launched her label back in late nineties, it’s suiting and slipdresses. “I wanted to look at what makes a Stella girl,” Stella said. The result was one of the designer’s best collections since then.

Jackets in black & white or red & black micro-checks were roomy and long enough to function as a dress, for which they were designed when paired with vegan legging boots on runway. These needle-like heels were definitely up there with the season’s other extreme footwear.

Elegant cocoon coats were sharply defined with super-skinny belts, and a couple of them got the trompe l’oeil treatment to look like a jacket and skirt.

Stella’s real-world approach means she can attract gals as different as Thandie Newton, Salma Hayek, Beth Ditto, and Nan Goldin, all of whom were there in her front row. Pushing boundaries wasn’t the point of this collection, but she did provide a complete wardrobe collection for women who connect with her brand of easy, unfussy sex appeal. Have a look on video to see whole collection.