Stella Made This for My Great Aunt Gerda

Stella McCartney has been one of my favorite designers for some time now. Not that I can afford most of her designs, but when I have forked up the money and bought one of her pieces, I have never been disappointed. So when I was faced with the reality that I had fallen in love with a Stella dress from the SS2016 collection, I took the plunge.

I fell in love with the dress as it reminded me of my great aunt. She spent a lifetime as the perfect hostess, and never missed a detail. So when I saw this Stella dress, memories of times spent with her came flooding back. I thought, “This is what I want to host a party (and every party) in” –  as it was comfortable, flattering and completely feminine. 

And as with all other Stella pieces I own, it was perfectly tailored to fit well. The embroidered flowers especially reminded me of my great aunt Gerda’s tablecloths and informal plates and serving pieces.

Who was Gerda?

Gerda had such an influence on our family. She was the sister of the grandfather I most adored and the wife of a lively and loving guy. With no kids, she shared her life and traditions with anyone who came to visit.

Gerda was a woman who took entertaining seriously. I like to think that I have picked up some of her wonderful traditions. She had a separate set of dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There was a time and place for everything, and she kept us all on schedule.

She took notes at every dinner party to make sure she didn’t serve the same thing on your next visit. And to make sure she never served something you didn’t like. She even wrote down what she wore!

The party usually never ended until early in the morning. And when we finally got to bed, there was always a cozy down comforter and a stack of tabloids by the nightstand.

Ottilia Gerda is Her Name

Buying this dress was a tribute to my love of Gerda and appreciation for all that she taught me. I knew that all of these memories had to be written down. My admiration of Gerda goes so deep that even my daughter carries her name.

And when I saw the picture with the adoring look Ottilia gave me when I wore the Stella dress, it was confirmation. I felt that she truly recognized my happiness and confidence, and this dress played a part.

It just so happens that she was also feeling that happiness and confidence as she wore her favorite dress. “The ice cream dress,” as we call it. Both dresses were not about buying something expensive, showing off or even about dressing up, they were about finding something that made us feel good and reflected a special moment in our lives.

Have a look at Stella McCartney’s most recent collection, click here.