Stella McCartney Taps Japanese Artist Yoshitomo Nara For Genderless Capsule

Stella McCartney is debuting the second iteration of “Shared,” the genderless capsule she launched last summer in a bid to speak to a younger, gender-fluid audience.

This time she tapped Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, to lend his creative eye and flair for rebellion to the design of the capsule. This is the first time Nara is dipping his toe into the fashion world, but his childlike illustrations and slogans — like “Don’t Waste Another Day” or “We Are Punks” — seemed to easily blend in with McCartney’s laid-back, carefree clothing.

His art work was splattered all over knits, T-shirts and loose satin pajama-like tops and pants — all designed to be worn by men and women alike.

“Our clothing has always playfully, rebelliously riffed on the dichotomy between masculine and feminine energies, and this capsule refreshed it for a rising generation with shared values and aesthetics,” said McCartney of her decision to launch Shared. This second capsule under the Shared umbrella, which she describes as “post-gender,” is aiming to continue to create space for more freedom of expression.

An art enthusiast — she has previously worked with the likes of Cindy Sherman, Jeff Koons and Olafur Eliasson — the British designer was drawn to Nara’s work for its nonconformist, activist spirit, which is particularly relevant to the current moment and the need to imagine a better world.

To mark the collection’s debut, a pop-up and in-store installation at Japan’s Isetan department store is in the works.