Most designers take a low-key approach to the Resort season by presenting their collection in a showroom setting to an intimate, by-appointment-only group of editors and buyers. Not so for Stella McCartney, who always hosts a big party to debut her Resort offerings. And this year was no different.

Stella & co. took over St. Luke’s in the Field in New York’s West Village last week to host a seriously fun beer garden party. Guests entered the garden – which adjoins a school – through a brick archway festooned with balloons. Inside, leggy young models wearing Stella McCartney Resort looks mingled with a crowd that included Bono, Estelle, Liv Tyler, and Naomi Watts, along with editors from every major fashion mag and department store in town.

Everyone was nibbling tasty veggie hors d’oeuvres, drinking beer or lemonade, and watching models play ping-pong or croquet. There was a Scrabble board set up on one picnic table (with tiles spelling out S-t-e-l-l-a  M-c-C-a-r-t-n-e-y), a festive piñata hung from a tree branch, a pretzel cart, a shaved ice stand, a live band, and bottles of bubbles for all, which the kids in attendance were running around blowing with abandon. Fun!

The grown-ups, myself included, were having more fun ooh-ing and ahh-ing over Stella’s collection, which features bold striped and floral dresses and sharply tailored suiting alongside some seriously sexy (faux leather) accessories. I especially loved the floral-print tote bags and neon-trimmed “snakeskin” shoes.

Alas, I’ll have to wait ‘til November to get my hands on those puppies. But I did nab a little pot of roses (Stella’s version of a goodie bag), which is now soaking up the rays in front of my living room window, keeping the good garden party vibes going all summer long.

Lauren David Peden writes for Rue La La as a Contributing Editor.