About Stella
ABOUT STELLA McCARTNEY
Stella McCartney was born in London to a family of creators who were legendary in public, yet ordinary at home. Raised in both the city and the English countryside, she was kept grounded by her late mother and muse, Linda McCartney – a photographer, vegetarian and animal rights activist whose values and innate appreciation for beauty continue to inspire her today.
About the Brand
Subsequent key highlights for the brand include launching an ongoing adidas by Stella McCartney performance wear partnership in September 2004, releasing the vegan STELLA fragrance and debuting the first lingerie collection in 2008. In Winter 2009, the iconic Falabella bag was introduced, distinguished by a hand-laced cotton and diamond-cut chain detail – the vegan accessory is now of Stella McCartney’s bestselling collections. In the same year, Stella McCartney Kids was introduced, and the sustainable fashion house expanded into eco-friendly eyewear in 2011.
Stella was appointed Team Great Britain’s Creative Director for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London by adidas, marking the first time in the history of the games that a leading fashion designer has designed the apparel for a country’s team across all Olympic competitions. In 2016, she unveiled her first full swimwear collection, launched the new STELLA POP fragrance and was invited to be Creative Director for Team Great Britain again for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
The first-ever Stella McCartney menswear collection launched in Spring 2017 and Stella designed the first-ever vegan Stan Smith trains in Autumn 2018. That year, she also launched the Stella McCartney Cares Foundation – a non-profit charity platform devoted to dually supporting sustainability and breast cancer awareness, two causes especially close to the designer’s heart.
After 17 years of partnership, Stella purchased Kering’s stake in her company in 2018. Later that year, she designed Meghan Markle’s wedding reception dress and partnered with the United Nations on a sustainable fashion charter.
In 2019, Stella McCartney entered into a partnership with LVMH to further develop her brand, while retaining a majority ownership. She will also serve as a special advisor on sustainability to Bernard Arnault and the conglomerate’s executive committee. Additionally, in January 2020, Stella became the first fashion designer ever to appear on the cover of Vogue USA.
Cementing her position as an innovation leader in 2021, Stella was invited by HRH The Prince of Wales’ Sustainable Markets Initiative to attend the G7 Summit and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), where she hosted a Future of Fashion material innovations exhibit. Stella McCartney was the only fashion designer to attend COP26, the global climate change summit, launching the travelling “Future of Fashion” exhibit. She attended the G7 UK conference and signed the Terra Carta treaty. In the same year, she released the world’s first-ever vegan football boot, in collaboration with adidas and Paul Pogba, and the world’s first Mylo™️ mycelium leather garments and runway bag.
In 2022, Stella released the world’s first-ever commercially available Mylo™ luxury handbag crafted from mycelium and continued to innovate nature-positive material innovations. She also launched STELLA by Stella McCartney – a vegan and cruelty-free skincare range crafted from over 99% natural ingredients. Stella also became a co-founder of the SOS Fund, investing in next-gen start-ups at the grassroots level to support nature-positive solutions and innovations.
This commitment to pioneering a conscious luxury movement continued with Stella’s vocal support of The Fashion Act policy in New York as well as the launch of STELLA by Stella McCartney skincare, an entirely vegan, 99% natural beauty range in partnership with LVMH.
In 2023, Stella was honoured with a CBE, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, by His Royal Highness King Charles III in recognition of her services to fashion and sustainability. She also debuted the world’s first-ever luxury products crafted from MIRUM®, BioSequins and regenerative cotton.
Today, Stella McCartney spans women’s ready to wear, unisex capsules, kids’ clothing, accessories, swimwear, lingerie, a performance wear collaboration with adidas, STELLA skincare and more – with 48 directly owned stores and 21 franchise stores across New York City, London, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. Our collections are now sold in 77 nations through 863 specialty shops and department stores, and ship to 100 countries via online. Discover more at stellamccartney.com.
She graduated from Central St Martins in 1995, becoming immediately known for her womenswear’s sharp tailoring, bold aesthetics and masculine energy. By 1997, Stella was appointed the Creative Director of Chloé in Paris, leading the house to critical and commercial success.
In 2001, Stella McCartney launched her eponymous luxury fashion house and showed her first collection in Paris that October. A lifelong vegetarian, Stella has never used leather, feathers, skin or fur in any of her designs since day one – a revolutionary stance both then and now. Since those first seeds were planted, the brand has continued to grow its sustainability thought leadership through material and supply chain innovation, partnerships and beyond.
Stella McCartney’s achievement in fashion and social awareness has been recognised on numerous occasions including:
Timeline
2023
- Presented with a CBE, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, award for contributions to fashion and sustainability.
- INSEAD Society for Progress – Progress Medal Laureate, London
2022
- EY Social Entrepreneurship Award
- Co-founder of S🌍S Fund
2021
- Fashion Awards 2021 Honouree — Leaders of Change, Environment
- Honoured by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF)
2020
- First designer on the cover of American Vogue
- Fashion Awards 2020 Honouree, Environment
2019
- Green Fashion Award Ground Breaker Award, Milan
- WWD Honours Corporate Citizenship Award, New York
- Clio Award for the Breast Cancer Campaign film featuring Idris Elba
2018
- BOF Gala Global Voices Award, London
- Honoured by the David Lynch Foundation Women of Vision Luncheon, New York
- Clio Award for “No less a woman” BCA content film
2017
- Special Recognition Award for Innovation, British Fashion Award
- Clio Award for POP fragrance campaign film
2016
- British Brand of the Year, Elle Style Award
- Clio Award for the Autumn 2016 presentation at Amoeba, Los Angeles
- Clio Award for the Spring 2016 content film
2015
- Brand of the Year, British Fashion Award
2014
- Women’s Leadership Award, Lincoln Center Corporate Fund, New York
- Corporate Social Responsibility, Walpole Awards, London
2013
- Best International Designer of the Year, The Elle Style Award, London
- Conscious Award, H&M & Elle Awards, Stockholm
- Presented with an OBE, Order of the British Empire, award for excellence and service in the fashion industry.
2012
- British Designer of the Year, Harper’s Bazaar Woman of the Year Awards
- International Award, Telva magazine’s, Madrid
- Brand of the Year, Luxury Briefing Awards, London
- Designer of Year and Brand of the Year, The British Fashion Council, London
- Honorary Fellowship from the University of the Arts London; funding a new scholarship at Central Saint Martins for designers who adhere to her ethical view
2011
- Red Carpet Award, The British Fashion Council, London
2009
- Honoured by the Natural Resources and Defense Council, New York
- Featured in the Time 100, New York
- Named a Woman of the Year, Glamour magazine Women of the Year Awards, New York
2008
- Best Designer of The Year, The Spanish Elle Awards, Barcelona
- Green Designer of the Year, ACE Awards, New York
2007
- International Designer of the Year, Elle Style Awards, London
- Best Designer of the Year, The Elle Style Award for Award, London
- Best Designer of The Year, The British Style Awards, London
2005
- Woman of the Year, Organic Style, New York
2004
- Best Designer of the Year, The Glamour Award, London
- Star Honouree, Fashion Group International Night of Stars, New York
2003
- Woman of Courage honoree, Unforgettable Evening event, Los Angeles
2002
- Style Icon, Elle Style Awards, London
2000
- Designer of the Year, The Rover British Fashion Awards, London
- Designer of the Year, VH1/Vogue Fashion and Music Awards, New York
1999
- British Designer of the Year, The Elle Style Awards, London
Stella McCartney’s special projects and collaboration have included:
2023
- Debuted first-ever luxury handbag in Natural Fiber Welding’s MIRUM®
- Launched first-ever garment made of BioSequin®
- Launched first-ever garment made of regenerative cotton
2022
- Endorsed The Fashion Act bill in New York
- Launched adidas by Stella McCartney x Arsenal W.F.C.
- Designed Minnie Mouse’s first every pant suit, in collaboration with Disney
- Collaborated with Disney’s Fantasia for Shared
- Winter 2022 collection featured the artwork of Frank Stella
- Frayme Mylo™️ became world’s first commercially available mycelium luxury handbag
- Introduced the S-Wave bag, crafted from grape-based alternatives
- Launched first-ever close-the-loop garment in ECONYL®
- Second collaboration with Yoshitomo Nara
- Debuted STELLA by Stella McCartney skincare
2021
- Participated in G7 Summit and COP26 with HRH Prince Charles’ Sustainable Markets Initiative
- Launched Future of Fashion material innovation installation
- Produced the world’s first Mylo™ mushroom leather garments and the world’s first Mylo™ handbag to go down a runway
- Collaborated with artist Yoshitomo Nara for Shared
- Collaborated with Greenpeace for Earth Day
- The Beatles x Get Back Collaboration
- Collaborated with Netflix’s Sex Education for annual BCA campaign
- Collaborated with Google on the Google Fibre Impact Explorer
- Introduced the Frayme bag
2020
- Introduced McCartney A to Z Manifesto
- Launched new eyewear licensee partnership with Thelios
- Launched KOBA fur free fur
- Launched Coreva denim
- Launched Shared – Genderless line
- Launched Stellawear
2019
- All Together Now capsule collection
- Collaborated with artist Sheila Hicks
- Net-a-Porter capsule collection collaboration
- Adidas Wimbledon collection launch
- Stella x Hunter boot collaboration
- Designed exclusive lingerie set for Breast Cancer Awareness month
- Designed Post Double Mastectomy Compression Bra and 1st adidas sports bra
- MyTheresa Capsule collection collaboration
- Stella x Taylor Swift collaboration
- Designed second vegan Stan Smith
- Launch of We are the Weather Capsule Collection
2018
- Launched Stella McCartney Cares Foundation
- Co-signatory of the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action by the UN
- Opened global flagship store at Old Bond Street London
- Designed Meghan Markle’s wedding reception dress
- V&A Fashioned from Nature Exhibition
- Galeries Lafayette Go For Good initiative
- Designed 1st vegan Stan Smith
- Launched Bridal capsule collection
- Designed Justin Timberlake’s Super Bowl performance outfit and Man of the Woods tour wardrobe
- Designed Post Double Mastectomy Compression Bra with a campaign featuring Idris Elba
- Designed exclusive lingerie set for Breast Cancer Awareness with a campaign featuring Sofia Vergara
- David Lynch Narrates 'Curtain's Up,' a film by Stella McCartney
2017
- Launched the fragrance, Peony
- Co-hosted the Launch of Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future.
- Launch of partnership with the RealReal
- Achieved Cradle to Cradle Certified Gold Level Wool Yarn
- Converted to TIPA Sustainable Packaging Solutions
- Designed the White Ribbon badge for the campaign to raise awareness on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the Kering Foundation for the sixth year running
- Designed Post Double Mastectomy Compression Bra and swim top
- Designed exclusive lingerie set for Breast Cancer Awareness with a campaign featuring Alicia Keys
- Launch of Partnership with Bolt Threads Focused on Sustainable Fashion and Luxury Materials Development
- Falabella GO Bags Get a Sustainability Boost made from Aquafil’s 100 percent Regenerated Nylon, furthering the Brand’s Commitment to Conserving our Oceans
- Joins Forces with Parley for the Oceans in the Fight against Marine Plastic Pollution and Drives Eco Innovation
- Launched the new fragrance POP Bluebell
2016
- First Menswear Collection launch for Spring 2017
- Launched first complete swim collection combining style with functionality and fit
- Launched the new fragrance POP; the scent for a new generation of women
- Designed exclusive lingerie set for Breast Cancer Awareness with a campaign featuring Chelsea Handler
- Designed Post Double Mastectomy Compression Bra
- Designed the White Ribbon badge for the campaign to raise awareness on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the Kering Foundation for the fifth year running
- In the ongoing effort to reduced negative environmental impact the brand only uses Regenerated Cashmere
- All viscose used in Stella McCartney products is sustainable in the order to help prevent deforestation
- Announced First Global Environmental Profit and Loss Account for 2015 in which overall environmental impact of materials used reduced by 35% in last three years, whilst enjoying best business performance of the brand since its launch.
2015
- Launched of Stellasport, a brand new range in partnership with adidas for action girls
- Appointed team GB’s Creative Director by adidas for the 2016 Olympic Summer Games & Paralympics in Rio
- Launched new eyewear licensee partnership with Kering Eyewear
- Designed exclusive lingerie set for Breast Cancer Awareness month and Post Double Mastectomy
- Compression Bra.
- Designed the White Ribbon badge for the campaign to raise awareness on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the Kering Foundation for the fourth year running.
- Designed a limited edition t-shirt collection for kids and women for War Child UK, to raise awareness and provide support to some of the most vulnerable children living in conflict zones around the world.
2014
- Collaborated with English artist Gary Hume for the Autumn 2014 collection featuring his illustrations on ready-to-wear pieces.
- Launched Maleficent by Stella McCartney Kids Capsule Collection
- Launched the 2014 London Stella McCartney Green Carpet Collection, a sustainable eveningwear collection.
- Joined the Jaguar FEEL XE campaign for the launch of Jaguar’s most fuel efficient car.
- Designed exclusive lingerie set for Breast Cancer Awareness month.
- Collaborated with Canon for the limited edition Linda camera bag.
- Designed the White Ribbon badge for the campaign to raise awareness on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by the Kering Foundation for the third year running.
- Partnered with NGO Canopy and made the commitment to ensure all viscose and other cellulose fabrics are sustainably certified by 2017.
- First fashion brand to join the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network
- Joined the Cradle to Cradle Fashion Positive Initiative, a comprehensive program that enables the continuous improvement of the sustainability of products and development of sustainable and innovative materials.
- Launch of the Clevercare initiative, all clothing will feature the clever care logo – a simple reminder to consider the environment when washing and caring for your garments.
2013
- Designed exclusive t-shirts for the Red Nose Day 2013 campaign to benefit Comic Relief charity in the UK.
- Launched the Stella McCartney x goop capsule collection, a luxury designer collaboration available exclusively on goop.com, the digital and e-commerce site founded by Gwyneth Paltrow.
2012
- Appointed team GB’s Creative Director by adidas for the Olympic Summer Games and Paralympics.
- Partnered with NRDC on their Clean By Design program, the first luxury brand to participate and bring the program to Europe.
2011
- Created the costumes for the New York City Ballet’s Ocean’s Kingdom , the ballet collaboration between Paul McCartney and Peter Martins which premiered in New York.
- Launched an ongoing partnership with the International Trade Center’s Ethical Fashion Program (ITC) creating accessories hand made from printing to stitching in Kenya.
2010
- Launched limited edition costume jewelry in collaboration with Disney in celebration of the Tim Burton film Alice In Wonderland.
2009
- Launched the 2 season collaboration collection of Stella McCartney for Gap Kids.
- Designed exclusive t-shirts for the Red Nose Day 2009 campaign to benefit Comic Relief charity in the UK.
- Launched MEAT FREE MONDAY, an awareness campaign in the UK.
- Designed a capsule collection featuring limited edition prints by artist Peter Blake for Net-a- Porter.
2008
- Launched a one-off limited edition travel collection with LeSportsac.
2007
- Launched care by Stella McCartney, the first luxury skincare range with 100% organic active ingredients.
- Launched an organic capsule collection for Barneys New York
2006
- Collaborated with artist Jeff Koons on Spring/Summer 2006 collection using his prints on dresses and accessories shown in Paris.
2005
- The hugely successful one-off collection “Stella McCartney for H&M” sold out worldwide in record time.
- Collaborated with cartoonist Robert Crumb on a limited edition t-shirt.
2004
- Designed specially made costumes for Madonna’s Reinvention Tour, Annie Lennox’s summer concert tour and the wardrobe for Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law in the film, “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.”
2003
- Launched Absolut Stella campaign with illustrations by David Remfry also featured in her own brand’s ad campaign that same year.
2002
- Collaborated with artist Gary Hume in handmade t-shirts for a silent auction to benefit RAWA, an organisation for Afghan women’s rights, at the Thaddeus Ropac gallery in Paris.
2001
- Launched Stella McCartney fashion house under 50/50 joint venture Kering