Stella McCartney Brand Book

SUSTAINABILITY
give incentives to new up and coming designers. At the same
time, technology is really important to us so really talking
about how technology can be the way forward and how sexy
that is. I guess one of the things I’m most excited about is the
idea of creating some kind of fund for lawyers and NGOs, so
actually encouraging policy change because unless we have
that, really, there’s only so much you can do and that comes
hand in hand with the idea of incentives. I can get taxed up
to 30% just for taking a non-leather good into America for
example, and it’s like why should I be punished in a sense for
not killing animals and for not using the chemicals that turn
the leathers? It should be the other way around.
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SIEGLE
I find this really exciting because … when you look through
different lenses, by working with lawyers or farmers or biologists,
you suddenly see a lot of remedies that weren’t available
to you before. And, of course, this picks up grass roots action.
This is you saying we are not going to put up with these unfair
laws and it’s a very challenging position to adopt.
McCARTNEY
Yea, I guess we’ve never really done things by the rule book at
Stella McCartney. We’re trying to change things and I think
the entire conversation is about change in the right direction.
I can only do so much, but if I can have policies change and
have politicians actually look at this issue and look at taxation,
look at import, look at export, look at China, for example.
In China you still have to test on animals to bring in a beauty
product. I don’t sell any of my perfumes into China and nobodies
having that conversation. All of the big brands in beauty
that go into China are testing on animals. Now, if they all
said ‘no’, if they all wanted to, we can have such a strong and
powerful voice. I think that it can happen, and it can happen
now. This is amazing that we’re even having this conversation.
You know this is happening now and I really see it. After all
these years I’m so excited and encouraged and I think it is the
time for change!
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SIEGLE
So, you’re feeling hopeful? Because we’ve got a lot of doom and
gloom around us, especially going into COP24, we’re worried
about keeping to 1.5 [degree Celsius global warming this century].
We have a president in America who willfully doesn’t
know the difference between climate and weather. You know
we are in this situation; we are where we are, but your still
feeling hopeful and like we can push through?
McCARTNEY
Yea, I mean he [President Trump] is watching this right now,
should we say hi? Come on, you can do it!
I have to be hopeful; we all have to be hopeful. It’s the way I’m
wired, and I couldn’t do what I do if I didn’t have some kind
of hope for the future. And I see that we can do it. I think
what’s kind of frustrating for me is that I’m not a big brand,
I’m not a loud voice, but I’ve got vegan Stan Smith’s on that I
talked Adidas into doing with me and they are a huge brand.
If they see that this [Stan Smith shoe] can be made first and
foremost and it can wear and tear as much as a leather Stan
Smith’s using animal bone and fish bone glue, then maybe
they’ll change. If I can do it, anyone can do it! I have to have
hope because there’s a lot of bigger voices out there with a lot
more money and a lot more clout behind them
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Illustration by Maxwell Paternoster for Stella
McCartney’s Winter 2020 Collection.
SIEGLE
But you’re very persuasive Stella and we know that. And let’s
just have a final act of persuasion because you need everyone
here and beyond to sign up to the Charter. Don’t you?
McCARTNEY
I love that it’s me who needs it, it’s only me that needs you to
sign up. It’s basically you all need to sign up because you all
need to sign up. I mean it’s ridiculous that I’m here even needing
to have this conversation quite frankly. But it’s a positive
thing it’s an amazing thing that we’ve started a conversation,
we’ve opened up the concept that people in power in the fashion
industry can make change, they can take responsibility in
their own hands.
Consumers are critical, you know conscious consumption is
at the core of everything. If the people that make the business
decisions know that the next generation of consumers will not
stand for anything less than responsible business, then they’re
going to have to do it anyways. So, I think it’s great if everyone
takes the law into their own hands and it’s doable. We can do
it and we have 16 commitments now; we can have many more,
but this is the start.
Be part of it [the movement] guys, you’re all part of it!
SIEGLE
And it feeds directly into the Paris agreement so when your
kids and your grandkids asked you what you did you will be
able to hold your head up and make eye contact and say I was
part of this incredibly important response. I just want you to
finish on a comment to a phrase that you said to me before
which I really liked. You said that this really is the ultimate
luxury now, and this is something that young people respond
to and this is why we should see it as an opportunity.
McCARTNEY
You know it’s just all intertwined isn’t it? Many years ago,
before this was a kind of fashionable conversation to have,
people would say to me as a designer “what’s your idea of luxury?”
you’re like ‘I don’t know like a Berkin bag? I don’t know
what sort of question is that?’, but for me, my personal idea of
luxury is having a voice, having freedom, having clean air to
breath, having animals by our side that are happy and healthy
and treated well, having pure water to drink, and having the
luxury of having mother nature and planet earth in a healthy
state. That for me is the ultimate, I don’t know what other
luxury there is, other than, you know, a Falabella bag and a
pair of vegan Stan Smiths.
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