Stella McCartney on worrying what the nation thinks and transcendental meditation

Yet if McCartney has segued easily from Queen of Fashion to Queen of the Olympics, she is quite down-to-earth in the flesh, touchingly concerned how her designs for Team GB will be received.??????It is so hard to really read people???s reactions,?????? she says, backstage, sipping water, and laughing.??????Hopefully, they will be polite to me.

??????I worry about what the athletes think of course, but that goes hand to hand with what the nation thinks.??????

In 2012, initial reaction to her first Olympic kit was mixed, with some of the public taking exception to the lack of red in the union flag design and muttering about Too Much Grey.This time round, the designs already seem to be more popular, and - in case you???re worried - there is plenty of red, white and blue.The only grey in the range seems to be reserved for a vest top - which is so baby-bottom soft that no-one will care about the hue.

Certainly not our Olympians who seem to be hugely enthusiastic about all their new gear.McCartney admits:??????They love it; they tell me they feel time and love and consideration has gone into it, and they appreciate that the fit is even better.??????

One of the challenges of the new kit was that sponsors Adidas were aiming to make it 10 per cent lighter than before, sotherewere strange new fabrics to incorporate.But McCartney was also keen it would fulfil other requests, like allowing the women athletes to feel more feminine.Most teams, she explains, have a unisex uniform, but she wanted to design clothes that flattered and had a slim fit for women where appropriate.

This ties in with McCartney"s signature pared-back but wearable designs for her catwalkcollections, which are driven she explains by a desire to serve and connect with the women who are her customers.

??????These are the things I bring to the occasion,?????? says the designer.??????I fight the athletes??? corner.I want the best quality fabrics, but also insist on little details like two way zips.You are tightly governed by what various sport governing bodies allow, but I try to navigate around that so make the athletes feel better.You have to find a balance.??????

Browsing the rails, this means a classy dark blue swimming costume for sprinting past Australians, bright patriotic tracksuits for rostrum duty, but also a cosy Onesie for trawling the athletes??? village when you are too happy to sleep.

How did McCartney find new inspiration this time round???????I felt it was really important to create a coat of arms to draw on our heritage, something we could gift to the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association.??????The armourial design is deliberately focused on unifying the nation with its entwining national flowers from the different countries, and paired blue and red lions rampant, joining up the Olympic and Paralympic teams.The gold, silver and bronze medals on top represent the past as well as future intentions.