Stella's 'first birthday' party

There was no mistaking the Stella McCartney touch as she threw a first birthday party for her clothes store.

The face painters had been working on the waiters, there was a particularly magical magician and more than 100 helium balloons. There was even a suitably logoed "Stella" ice cream van parked outside the shop in Bruton Street. But even more telling were the reams of celebrity friends who turned up.

Among the crowd who turned up to cheer on the designer were Sam Taylor Wood, Patsy Kensit, a pregnant Liberty Ross and husband Rupert Sanders and David Bailey as well as the rock royalty offspring of Ringo Starr and George Harrison, Jason and Danni.

The only people not to make an appearance were Sir Paul and Heather. Madonna was just starting her world tour, and Gwyneth had just given birth to daughter Apple, but what was their excuse?

Stella, 32, looked radiant hand-in-hand with husband Alisdhair Willis in a strapless black Fifties dress, denim jacket and vertiginous black high heels. "Okay, so I admit that the dress is vintage," said Stella. "But the rest is mine - even the personality!"

After a year of doubts over her business acumen, the designer is now expected to generate £17million in sales after losses of £7million for her first two years of trading under her name.