Stella McCartney — Print Collection Stella 02 (2011)
Essence
Print Collection Stella 02 (2011) is not a new juice but a special-edition repackaging of Stella McCartney’s flagship rose, Stella (2003, by Jacques Cavallier Belletrud), released in a limited run of collectible 30 ml flacons whose glass was printed with large floral motifs lifted from McCartney’s Spring 2011 fashion collection. It is the beloved rose-amber Stella in a collector-oriented bottle, distributed in limited numbers through select travel retail, and now discontinued. The interest is in owning the pre-2014 original formulation in a fashion-object flacon.
Scent Profile
As a re-bottling of Stella, the wear experience is that fragrance. A soft, dewy mandarin-and-peony lift opens the composition, bright and slightly watery, before giving way quickly to the central accord. The heart is a big, lush, slightly retro rose, set against a warm, clean amber base with airy, soapy musk. The rose is the clear signature; the amber keeps it warm without weight, and a light musk smooths the drydown. The DNA is rose-forward, low in sillage, and fairly linear once the citrus tops burn off. Wearers who own both report this edition smells a touch deeper and sweeter than the 2014 Stella, heavier and more lush rather than crisp and clean, though whether that reflects a richer fill or simply better-preserved older juice is unclear.
Performance
This is a soft, close-wearing rose, consistent with the parent Stella’s reputation for minimal sillage. Expect a skin-scent-leaning rose that may need reapplication through a long day. Longevity is moderate rather than tenacious, so this is a quiet personal signature, not a projecting statement fragrance.
Wearing Context
Daytime, office, and everyday romantic wear suit it best. The parent Stella is repeatedly described as pleasant, comfortable, never offensive, and easy to wear in any season. The slim 30 ml bottle was pitched as a handbag-friendly travel item, and the social read is a classic, feminine, tasteful rose; collectors prized the bottle as much as the juice.
Comparisons & DNA
The essential comparison is the original Stella (2003) by the same perfumer, because this is that fragrance in a different bottle. Stella Rose Absolute (2005) is a darker, deeper, longer-lasting intensification of the same rose-amber idea. The post-2014 reformulated Stella is generally held to be lighter and weaker than the 2003 original. Within the broader rose-amber genre, Stella is likened to Juliette Has a Gun Miss Charming, a rose with a sharper lychee tang.
Reception
Coverage of this specific edition is thin but affectionate; wearers treat it as a way to own the original Stella formulation in a collectible bottle, praising the print design and the juice alike. The parent Stella (2003) drew named-critic attention: Robin at Now Smell This reached a qualified verdict, admiring rather than adoring it and noting it does not smell like a typical department-store designer perfume, while Victoria Frolova at Bois de Jasmin was positive, framing it as silky rose petals on a transparent ambery base. The parent fragrance is somewhat mourned since discontinuation; for someone who loves the original, a Print Collection 02 bottle is a charming pickup, with the caveat to expect soft performance and to pay collector prices.
Versions & Reformulation
This is itself a 2011 limited-edition presentation of Stella (2003). The broader reformulation history matters: the line was revamped in 2014, widely felt to be lighter, and there were parallel Print Collection releases in 2011 and 2012 plus Stella 01 and 02 variants. The 2011 Print Collection juice is generally understood to be the pre-2014 original formulation, which is central to its collector appeal.
Acquisition Notes
Sold only as limited 30 ml eau de parfum flacons through select travel retail at launch, it is long discontinued and now appears mainly on the secondary market, where bottles command collector prices. The usual secondary-market caution about counterfeits applies, with no batch-code specifics documented. The draw is the bottle and the original-formula juice, so verifying seller reputation matters.
Notable Facts & Lore
- The Print Collection was a fashion-to-fragrance crossover, using floral illustrations sampled directly from Stella McCartney’s Spring 2011 ready-to-wear prints.
- Design press described the prints as modern interpretations of vintage florals, with borders gradating dark-to-light to reveal the purple juice.
- A 2012 follow-up Print Collection swapped the florals for oriental tile-like geometric motifs.
- The original Stella (2003) was created as McCartney’s tribute centered on her favorite rose, contrasted with warm amber, and became an instant top-seller.
- The L’Oreal distribution tie-up drew pointed criticism from some fans given McCartney’s vegetarian and animal-welfare brand identity.