Splashing out: Miss Shevell parading her Stella McCartney buys in New York

Of all the shops in New York, the heiress chose to gets a fashion update at Stella McCartney's.

Having just returned from a romantic holiday with Miss McCartney's father Sir Paul, she was photographed walking out of the young fashion designer's boutique with a large carrier bag.

Fostering good relations with Miss McCartney, as Miss Shevell's predecessor would attest, is not a bad idea.

Heather Mills fell out with her early in her relationship with the former Beatle, and Stella even left their 2002 wedding celebrations early. The marriage ended with last month's bitter divorce hearings.

Miss Shevell, however, was ahead from the start.

She was a friend of Sir Paul's first wife Linda, and was affectionately nicknamed Jackie O by the McCartney children, because they all thought she was so glamorous.

The 47-year-old brunette, whose family firm is worth £250million, looked happy and relaxed after her week in Antigua with Sir Paul.

While on the island, the pair were photographed strolling along the beach and frolicking in the water. They spent Wednesday night together in New York before Sir Paul flew back to the UK.

Yesterday, Sir Paul paid a moving tribute to Linda - the mother of Stella and her siblings Mary and James - as the tenth anniversary of her death approaches.

He wrote in loving terms about their relationship, inviting unfavourable comparisons with his latest marriage.

"Linda was very down to earth," he wrote in the Sunday Times magazine. "She taught me to relax. Her priorities were private rather than public.

"She didn't go on television to ingratiate herself. She was just very funny, very smart and very talented."

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First impressions: Stella McCartney left Paul and Heather's wedding early, but Miss Shevell, with her shopping choice, is ahead from the start

Meanwhile, Heather Mills showed off her new look – and it's a case of better red than wed.

After her exhausting and bitter divorce battle, the former model has undergone a drastic transformation.

Out goes her striking blonde hairstyle and in comes a softer, redhead look.

Her image change comes as former husband Sir Paul McCartney breaks his silence about his love for first wife Linda.

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From blonde to redhead: Heather Mills' red locks are a far cry from her old blonde look

New look: Heather Mills sports her new hairstyle as she leaves the nail salon in Beverly Hills

40-year-old Mills was seen showing her new colours on Friday as she left the Chic Nails Design salon a stone's throw from Beverly Hills, which advertises nail and waxing services, with 'walk-ins welcome'.

Heather, who had a leg amputated in 1993, wore a supportive boot on her false leg and a flimsy orange flip-flop on the other foot.

In casual white jeans and a blue top, and juggling two mobile phones, she looked a far cry from the formidable woman who was awarded £24.3million of the ex-Beatle's massive fortune just three weeks ago, despite being criticised by the divorce case judge, Mr Justice Bennett, as a 'less than candid witness' who had a 'warped perception' of the world and 'indulged in make-believe'.

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My love for Linda: Sir Paul has spoken about how he won the heart of first wife Linda, with a little help from Procol Harum

Perhaps Heather's new look will help soften the blow of Paul's exclusive article for The Sunday Times Magazine.

He tells all about he and Linda's early years together and reveals that they were brought together by Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade of Pale.

"It was our first date and I remember I heard Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade of Pale for the first time. It became our song."

This connection brought about a 30-year relationship for the McCartney's which ended in Linda's death from cancer at the age of 56.

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Awkward encounter: Heather handing over Beatrice to Sir Paul last summer as part of their agreed custody agreement

"Until then I'd been dating girls - well, except maybe one or two. Linda was genuinely a woman. She had a five-year-old child and I was genuinely impressed by the way that she handled herself in life. She just knew how to do it.

Sir Paul also admits that Linda's calming manner helped him to deal with the pressures if fame and go on to lead a relatively normal life.

He writes: "Linda was very down to earth. She taught me to relax. Her priorities were private rather than public. She didn't go on television to ingratiate herself. She was just very funny, very smart and very talented."

He talks about Linda's final days and reveals that her doctor advised him not to tell her that she was dying.

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In her impromptu press conference after the divorce hearing at the High Court last month, Heather said of Sir Paul McCartney: 'We all know he's worth £800million'

"At the time she knew she was ill but she'd had chemo and her hair was growing back," he writes.

"She didn't know she was dying. I'm not actually sure she ever knew she was dying.

"You have a decision to make as a family as to whether you tell someone and the doctors leave it to you, the immediate family.

"I talked it over with the doctor and he said, 'I don't think she would want to know. She is such a strong, forward-thinking lady and such a positive girl that I don't think it would do any good'."

The article's publication coincides with the opening of an exhibition of Linda McCartney's photographs at the James Hyman gallery in London.

Meanwhile Sir Paul was said to have met with former wife Heather this weekend to collect their daughter, Bea.

Heather was said to be less than keen to hang around in the Big Apple after reportedly having a 'blazing row' with Sir Paul over when Bea would be introduced to his new girlfriend, American millionairess Nancy Shevell.

Sir Paul was staying in the exclusive Carlyle Hotel there, after spending the previous week with 47-year-old Nancy in Antigua.

On Wednesday Heather was seen in New York sporting a black wig and dark glasses – the first time she has been spotted in public since she travelled to the US to recover from the trauma of the court case.

She is reportedly enraged that Sir Paul has found someone else so quickly after their divorce.