Stella McCartney designed a dress for Meghan Markle’s wedding to Prince Harry – after Chloé, she set up her brand, working with Adidas and more, and now has LVMH as an investor
- She’s the daughter of former Beatle Paul McCartney and mother Linda, an animal-rights activist who shaped her agenda
- Supermodel friends Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon, Jodie Kidd and Kate Moss have walked in many of her runway shows
Sustainability might be a buzz word in fashion today, but it’s the tenet British designer Stella McCartney has been living by for two decades.
“It was important to me to stay informed and make conscious and responsible decisions for both animals and our planet. From day one of my brand, I always knew that if I was going to start this company the only way to do so was if I stayed true to my beliefs,” says McCartney.
As her father, the legendary Beatles singer Paul McCartney, has been to British rock music, Stella McCartney has emerged as the green ambassador for British fashion design. She was awarded an OBE for her services to the fashion industry by Queen Elizabeth and designed Meghan Markle’s evening gown for her wedding to Prince Harry.
McCartney embarked on her journey to sustainability in 2001, when she established her namesake label through a partnership with Kering Group. The venture was preceded by her 14-year tenure at Chloé as one of the earliest female and British creative chiefs taking the helm at a time-honoured French maison.
Her career in fashion started early, including interning for French couturier Christian Lacroix and an apprenticeship at her father’s tailor, Edward Sexton in Savile Row. Her graduation show at London’s top design school Central Saint Martins had a rock star feel, presented by her supermodel friends Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon and Kate Moss who strode along to a song written by McCartney’s father, Stella May Day.
Despite the famous family halo, it’s her own unshakeable belief that distinguishes her from the crowd. From the beginning, McCartney, a lifelong vegetarian, steered away from animal products, instead utilising eco-friendly materials including recycled polyester, organic cotton, and regenerated cashmere, distinguishing herself in an industry that’s otherwise filled with leather handbags, fur coats and fluffy feather accessories.
“At first I was criticised; people said I could never have a successful business without using leather or fur. But I think it’s the most modern thing we do as a brand, we challenge the norm.”
McCartney has proved the critics wrong. As an environmental trailblazer, she has launched various provocative conversations about animal rights, sustainability and fashion’s appalling pollution. Her approach to sustainability has won the hearts and minds of younger consumers, gaining her a forward-thinking reputation as well as commercial success. Her partnership with sporting goods giant Adidas continued for over a decade, bringing the German athletic label more than US$15 million revenue in the first year.