“In the midst of frivolity and glamour aspect of fashion, lays one voice that continues to be a beacon of hope against animal cruelty. She is Stella McCartney, the designer known for not using any leather or fur in her designs. To stand for something in the industry that rarely gives care or thought about anything other than money counts.”
Entering the fashion industry at the mere age of 16, the 1971 born Stella first interned at Christian Lacroix. Following that she honed her tailoring and cutting skills at Edward Sexton, a world famous Savile Row tailor. The skill and sensibility carries through to her years of successful career. McCartney then went on to study at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. The entire graduation collection was purchased by London boutique Tokio and also stocked in Browns, Joseph, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus immediately. Soon the world noticed and she was appointed as creative director of Céline. Her tenure is a successful one. She is known for her sharp, simple tailoring with a feminine edge and thoughtful consideration for ready to wear design.
Raised as the daughter of Paul McCartney puts her at disadvantage as public can be very critical of her initial success. For example, a handful of McCartney’s supermodel friends walked for her 1995 graduation collection presentation, including Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. But all of the privilege doesn’t get into her head, if anything, it pushes her to voice her opinion boldly and never hold back in her creativity. “The greatest luxury of having the parents I had was that it has enabled me not to have to compromise. In the back of my mind, I always knew – if this all goes horribly wrong, I’ll be alright. That’s an option that most people just don’t have”, she said.
Her sharp instinct allows her to be the first designer who has 50 percent equal shares on her venture partnership with Kering/Gucci Group. Now her collections are distributed in over 77 countries. In 2001, McCartney showed her first collection in Paris under her own name. In August 2003, she married Alasdhair Willis on the Isle of Bute wearing her own dress inspired by the one her mother had worn to her own wedding. Like her mother, Stella is a staunch supporter of animal rights and strict vegetarian, and her clothes reflect that. Absent is the use of any leather or fur in her collections. Her shoes for example are made of vinyl or plastic and all belts and bags are made from raffia and fabric. She uses the word “heartless” to describe other designers who use animal products.
She is one of the most vocal designers about environmental issues, and her policy at her company is a fine example of merging commercial aspect with sustainability factor. Building a company that is ethical is important for her. She said, “There are over a billion animals killed a year for food, half of which don’t even get eaten. And there’s over 50 million animals killed just for fashion. If you’re mindful of how you’re approaching your life, then you see the connection. You can’t avoid the connection.”
