Stella McCartney Brand Book
STELLA McCARTNEYMcCartney didn’t compromise again when, two years later, she was appointedcreative director of the struggling Paris fashion house, Chloé. She was 25years old. She didn’t even compromise when the entire industry criticized herappointment. Karl Lagerfeld said, “I think they should have taken a big name.They did, but in music, not fashion”. She didn’t compromise when, havingrevived Chloé’s fortunes, reportedly quadrupling sales in the process, she leftParis in 2001 to set up her own label in 50-50 partnership with the Gucci (nowKering) group. Her friend, designer Tom Ford, once gave her a tour of hisstudio, extolling every kind of dead-animal skin, trying to change her mind.That didn’t work either.In fact, she redoubled her efforts, appearing in campaign videos about thecruelty of the leather and fur business. As she learned about the further environmentalimpacts of the fashion industry, such as global textiles production emitting1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, she set herself stringentsustainability targets, like using organic cotton, avoiding endangered forests,and reducing her use of oil-based synthetics. In 2018, Stella amicably split fromKering Group giving her full ownership of the House of Stella McCartney andallowing for further exploration and innovations in sustainability.The Stella McCartney brand mission now states, “we are agents of change. Wechallenge and push boundaries to make luxurious products in a way that is fitfor the world we live in today and the future: beautiful and sustainable. Nocompromises.” They make every decision as a symbol of their determinationto defining the possibilities for the future of fashion and do this by never usingleather or fur, pioneering new alternative materials, utilizing cutting edgetechnologies, pushing towards circularity, protecting ancient and endangeredforests, and measuring their impact with ground-breaking tools.Most importantly, Stella McCartney disguises sustainability as practical andcontemporary fashion. As a designer, McCartney lives and dies on the desirabilityof her creations. “That’s my job, first and foremost. If I don’t design thingsthat are desirable, and sexy, and a must-have for people, then it just ends up inlandfill anyway” she said. Her lines include women and men’s ready-to-wear,lingerie, accessories, eyewear, fragrance, and children’s wear. But she is bestknown for her womens wear and accessories.Understanding the needs of her customers and of women in general is inherentto McCartney’s appeal. House codes range from masculine (she trained onSavile Row) to playfully feminine (silky slip dresses, lace, flouncy hemlines).There are urban elements (city-slicker suiting and the cult Falabella bag withits chain hardware) and countrified motifs (horses, florals, summer sandals).“MY EARLIEST MEMORIES ARE OFLOOKING AT THE WARDROBE THATMY MOM AND DAD SHARED ANDSEEING THEIR CLOTHES BLENDSEAMLESSLY INTO EACH OTHER”It is this understanding and appreciation forthe multifaceted lives of modern women, withtheir contrasting personalities and refusal tobe pigeon-holed, that has given the brand thatmuch sought-after quality: longevity.Her past also plays a role. “A lot of my masculine/femininestuff comes from the observationsI had as a young child,” she says.“My earliest memories are of looking at thewardrobe that my mom and dad shared andseeing their clothes blend seamlessly into eachother. He wore Savile Row and she wore SavileRow… There was a real blurring of thelines.” Natural, carefree, and spontaneous,McCartney’s campaigns always portray a similarwoman, with an environmental messageweaved in.For McCartney, the design process often startswith a material as it does aesthetic inspiration,like a song, an image, an emotion, a silhouette.That is in part a result of working withsuch stringent self-imposed limitations. “Forexample we don’t use PVC, which a lot ofother houses do,” says McCartney. (Polyvinylchloride, a plastic used in shoes, outerwearand details like sequins, is highly toxic.) “Sowhen I go, ‘I want a lot of sequins this season,’everyone else has this many …” —she spreadsher hands, shoulder-width apart —“… whereasI have this many”—a hair’s breadth. “so thenyour challenge creatively is how can I makethe most of that?”10
ABOUTNicole Rycroft, Canopy’s executive directorsaid, “when it comes to sustainability, she islapping other designers”. “Stella was the firstbrand to cancel a contract with a viscose brandbecause it was using an endangered forest. Shewas the first real recognizable global designerto adopt Canopy. The thing that impressesme most about Stella the person is: she walksthe talk. As a result of that, 160 brands havefollowed suit.”The racks of a Stella McCartney store are apageant of luxurious deception: beautiful,buttery “leather” jackets and bags made froma fabric it calls Skin-Free-Skin (polyesterand polyurethane, coated with vegetable oil)hang alongside leopard-print Fur-Free-Fur(spun from organic fibres). Pumps glisten inseemingly every skin imaginable. It’s I Can’tBelieve It’s Not Butter! for dead things. ForMcCartney, deceiving her customer is thehighest praise. “I relish the thought that 99percent of our customers come in here, andthey see the Stan Smith, and they haven’t got aclue it’s a vegetarian shoe,” she says. Because ifcustomers can’t tell the difference, then there’sno reason to continue with cruel or unsustainablefashion. Some of her most notable designshave developed as a result of her environmentalvalues and innovation including the 2017gold shift dress made with Microsilk; the 2018special edition of McCartney’s bestselling Falabellahandbag made from mushroom leather;and in 2020 Stella McCartney announced thefirst biodegradable denim collection.“I RELISH THE THOUGHT THAT 99 PERCENT OF OUR CUSTOMERS COMEIN HERE, AND THEY SEE THE STANSMITH, AND THEY HAVEN’T GOT ACLUE IT’S A VEGETARIAN SHOE”Images (top to bottom):1. Stella with mother, Linda, and father, Paul, in 1974.2. Paul, Stella and James. Scotland, 1982.3. Stella and James. Scotland, 1982.4. Heather, Paul and Linda McCartney, with Stella (4), and Mary(6), at home in London on April 4th, 1976.11
- Page 3: BY SHAUNA CURRAN
- Page 7 and 8: TABLE OF CONTENTS8-419141927293042-
- Page 9: ABOUTSTELLA McCARTNEYAGENT OF CHANG
- Page 13 and 14: “THE STARTING POINT IS NOT DESIGN
- Page 15 and 16: ABOUTIs Stella McCartney the Queen
- Page 17 and 18: CIRCULARITY CIRCULARITY CIRCULARITY
- Page 19 and 20: SUSTAINABILITYSTELLA McCARTNEYEVERY
- Page 21 and 22: SUSTAINABILITYgive incentives to ne
- Page 23 and 24: SUSTAINABILITYAmber Valetta for Ste
- Page 25 and 26: SUSTAINABILITYStella McCartney Wint
- Page 27 and 28: SUSTAINABILITYSTELLA McCARTNEYACTIV
- Page 29 and 30: SUSTAINABILITYGET INVOLVED!WHAT WIL
- Page 31 and 32: SUSTAINABILITYSTELLA McCARTNEY: INN
- Page 33 and 34: SUSTAINABILITYBolt Threads Mushroom
- Page 35 and 36: SUSTAINABILITYMICROSILKMICROSILKSte
- Page 37 and 38: SUSTAINABILITYBIODEGRADABLE DENIMBI
- Page 39: SUSTAINABILITYRE-ENGINEERED CASHMER
- Page 42 and 43: STELLA McCARTNEY“IF I DON’T DES
- Page 44 and 45: STELLA McCARTNEYSTELLA McCARTNEYDES
- Page 46 and 47: STELLA McCARTNEYELYSE SHOESEST. 201
- Page 48 and 49: STELLA McCARTNEYCOLORIFIX DRESSEST.
- Page 52 and 53: STELLA McCARTNEYSTELLA McCARTNEYPRE
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- Page 56 and 57: STELLA McCARTNEY“IT’S NOT ABOUT
- Page 58 and 59: STELLA McCARTNEYWE ARE THEWhat woul
STELLA McCARTNEY
McCartney didn’t compromise again when, two years later, she was appointed
creative director of the struggling Paris fashion house, Chloé. She was 25
years old. She didn’t even compromise when the entire industry criticized her
appointment. Karl Lagerfeld said, “I think they should have taken a big name.
They did, but in music, not fashion”. She didn’t compromise when, having
revived Chloé’s fortunes, reportedly quadrupling sales in the process, she left
Paris in 2001 to set up her own label in 50-50 partnership with the Gucci (now
Kering) group. Her friend, designer Tom Ford, once gave her a tour of his
studio, extolling every kind of dead-animal skin, trying to change her mind.
That didn’t work either.
In fact, she redoubled her efforts, appearing in campaign videos about the
cruelty of the leather and fur business. As she learned about the further environmental
impacts of the fashion industry, such as global textiles production emitting
1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, she set herself stringent
sustainability targets, like using organic cotton, avoiding endangered forests,
and reducing her use of oil-based synthetics. In 2018, Stella amicably split from
Kering Group giving her full ownership of the House of Stella McCartney and
allowing for further exploration and innovations in sustainability.
The Stella McCartney brand mission now states, “we are agents of change. We
challenge and push boundaries to make luxurious products in a way that is fit
for the world we live in today and the future: beautiful and sustainable. No
compromises.” They make every decision as a symbol of their determination
to defining the possibilities for the future of fashion and do this by never using
leather or fur, pioneering new alternative materials, utilizing cutting edge
technologies, pushing towards circularity, protecting ancient and endangered
forests, and measuring their impact with ground-breaking tools.
Most importantly, Stella McCartney disguises sustainability as practical and
contemporary fashion. As a designer, McCartney lives and dies on the desirability
of her creations. “That’s my job, first and foremost. If I don’t design things
that are desirable, and sexy, and a must-have for people, then it just ends up in
landfill anyway” she said. Her lines include women and men’s ready-to-wear,
lingerie, accessories, eyewear, fragrance, and children’s wear. But she is best
known for her womens wear and accessories.
Understanding the needs of her customers and of women in general is inherent
to McCartney’s appeal. House codes range from masculine (she trained on
Savile Row) to playfully feminine (silky slip dresses, lace, flouncy hemlines).
There are urban elements (city-slicker suiting and the cult Falabella bag with
its chain hardware) and countrified motifs (horses, florals, summer sandals).
“MY EARLIEST MEMORIES ARE OF
LOOKING AT THE WARDROBE THAT
MY MOM AND DAD SHARED AND
SEEING THEIR CLOTHES BLEND
SEAMLESSLY INTO EACH OTHER”
It is this understanding and appreciation for
the multifaceted lives of modern women, with
their contrasting personalities and refusal to
be pigeon-holed, that has given the brand that
much sought-after quality: longevity.
Her past also plays a role. “A lot of my masculine/feminine
stuff comes from the observations
I had as a young child,” she says.
“My earliest memories are of looking at the
wardrobe that my mom and dad shared and
seeing their clothes blend seamlessly into each
other. He wore Savile Row and she wore Savile
Row… There was a real blurring of the
lines.” Natural, carefree, and spontaneous,
McCartney’s campaigns always portray a similar
woman, with an environmental message
weaved in.
For McCartney, the design process often starts
with a material as it does aesthetic inspiration,
like a song, an image, an emotion, a silhouette.
That is in part a result of working with
such stringent self-imposed limitations. “For
example we don’t use PVC, which a lot of
other houses do,” says McCartney. (Polyvinyl
chloride, a plastic used in shoes, outerwear
and details like sequins, is highly toxic.) “So
when I go, ‘I want a lot of sequins this season,’
everyone else has this many …” —she spreads
her hands, shoulder-width apart —“… whereas
I have this many”—a hair’s breadth. “so then
your challenge creatively is how can I make
the most of that?”
10
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