Stella McCartney shows vegan leather and fluffy, recycled knits in Paris

PARIS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Stella McCartney took to a market street on the Left Bank of Paris for her spring-summer runway show on Monday, sending models out in airy dresses, boxy tailored suits, and fluffy, cloud-like knits made from recycled nylon.

Models marched down the pavement on pointy heels, backless flats, and a new, high-top Adidas sneaker, the trains of their wispy dresses floating behind them, many with their backs mostly bare.

"It's about having a lightness of touch, having that femininity," she said after the show, speaking to journalists after greeting guests who included Greta Gerwig, Natalie Portman, and James McCartney.

"And then, you know, having the man in there - the masculinity," she added, referring to the manly suits, which were loosely cut, often worn without a top.

The label calculated the percentage of materials in the show that it deemed sustainable. These included a silver handbag made from a mycelium leather alternative and chunky jewelry representing doves carved from gold and silver extracted from electronics and medical waste.

The figure was 91%, McCartney said, noting the remaining 9% was likely metals like brass and belt buckles.

"Ask any other fashion house what sustainability percent this week is and they won't even know what you're asking," she said.

Birds were another theme; the show's soundtrack featured Prince's 1980s hit "When Doves Cry" interpreted by singer Patti Smith.

"I'm trying to tell everyone that those feathers you're seeing on the runway - all is pointless," said McCartney.