The definition of luxury is kaleidoscopic, shifting according to the light. Is it the feeling of wearing heavy silk, slipping like water over skin? Is it durability, longevity, shoe soles that can withstand the attrition of time? Or maybe the promise that something was made with care, with those who made it compensated fairly? Even for those designers with the most cachet, balancing high-quality craftsmanship with a positive — or at least not frighteningly detrimental — impact on the environment has always been a push-and-pull, an exercise in spinning plates where one is always in danger of crashing down and splintering. But for the fashion designer Stella McCartney, this balance has been a prerequisite for her willingness to play the game. In McCartney’s world, there is no luxury without sustainability — each depends on the existence of the other. Her vision of luxury is only clear and legible if both are in the same place at the same time.
“We need to redefine what luxury means,” she tells T Australia. “I’ve often said true luxury is about proving you can have it all — sexy, fashionable design wrapped in a mindful, cleaner ethos.”
In January, the designer bought back the 49 per cent stake in her eponymous London-based label that LVMH, the world’s most powerful fashion conglomerate, had owned since 2019. (McCartney will continue to advise LVMH chief Bernard Arnault and the group’s executive team as global ambassador on sustainability, according to a press statement announcing the news.) Until 2018, the Stella McCartney brand was partially owned by the French luxury group Kering, which held a 50 per cent share for 17 years. In one sense, this year is the beginning of a new era of Stella McCartney, on her own terms. McCartney is optimistic. “As an independent fashion house, I think we are in an even better position to continue leading and shaping the future of sustainable fashion,” she says. “By having full control of our direction, we can be more agile in this incredibly fast-paced market. We can totally rethink how things are done.”
At the autumn 2025 presentations, she laid out her vision for the new era. It was an audacious showing, high in a glass tower in Paris, the front row speckled with stars including Kate Moss and Cameron Diaz. On the runway, laterally adventurous shoulders and high hemlines harked back to 1980s power women, while mimicries of leather looked just as good as the real thing. From the launch of her brand in 2001 onwards, McCartney has never used animal leather, feathers, fur or skins in her garments (the label has also been PVC-free since 2010). This season, it was all about the brand’s respect for animals and nature, matched with a womanly oomph.
As Katharine Hepburn in “The Philadelphia Story” (1940) in a Bottega Veneta jacket, skirt, pants and shoes; and Bulgari watch.
As Katharine Hepburn in “The Philadelphia Story” (1940) in a Bottega Veneta jacket, skirt, pants and shoes; and Bulgari watch.
In a world where PRs breathlessly herald new sustainable brands month after month, credit must be given to the pioneers, McCartney chief among them. Her love of, and respect for, the natural world continues to inform her designs. “Our fellow creatures and plants are always on my initial moodboards,” McCartney says. “Anybody who follows my collections knows I love an animal or floral print.” The urge to protect these “fellow creatures” is tangible in her material choices. From 2017, McCartney worked with Mylo, a “mushroom leather” created from mycelium, the vegetative structure of mushrooms, in collaboration with the Bay Area-based startup Bolt Threads (in June 2023, Bolt Threads announced that the material would be put on hold due to financial pressures). After unveiling a prototype of her popular Falabella bag made with Mylo in 2018, McCartney showed her first commercial piece constructed from the material, the Frayme Mylo bag, in her autumn 2021 collection. Other innovations include a version of the Falabella made of Mirum, a plastic- and cruelty-free plant-based leather. McCartney has also started to incorporate into her designs a carbon-negative dye derived from algae waste called Algae Black (“How cool is that?” she asks) and the sequins shimmering on her party-ready minidresses are crafted from the plant-based material Sequinova, which is derived from sustainably sourced wood that undergoes a green chemical process.
Working with pioneering materials isn’t easy. It requires a daunting amount of time and “significant investment”, McCartney says, but the payoff is worth it. “[There] is nothing more satisfying than knowing we have helped to create something that could potentially change the world for the better,” she says.
McCartney’s interest in environmentalism began in childhood. The daughter of the Beatle Paul McCartney and the American photographer and animal rights activist Linda McCartney, she grew up on an organic farm. In 1991, Linda started a vegetarian and vegan food company that’s still in business. At the time, such practices were transgressive, particularly in the couple’s rarefied social circles, rather than markers of well-to-do yuppiedom as they are now. “Nature and my parents are in the DNA of my creative perspective,” she says. “My inspirations are often shaped by my childhood, riding through the wilds of Scotland on horseback.”
As Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine” (2010) in a Bottega Veneta jacket, top, jeans and shoes.
As Claire Danes in “Romeo + Juliet” (1996) in a Christopher Esber dress, christopheresber. com.au; stylist’s own wings; and Christian Dior shoes, dior.com.
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listic approach to circularity, which she describes, simply and forcefully, as “the future of fashion”. McCartney’s approach goes beyond aiming to reduce waste during production, to creating an active, involved cycle of regeneration. “At the material stage, I am always pushing my team to find materials that have the least impact on Mother Earth, and ideally even heal her,” McCartney says. Case in point: the brand’s partnership with the family-owned regenerative cotton producer Soktas in Turkey. On a broader level, recycled fabrics, dead-stock materials and cutting-edge technology such as Protein Evolution, which converts textile and plastic waste into infinitely recyclable polyester, are integral. By focusing on the entire lifecycle of garments — from sourcing materials to the end-of-life phase — McCartney ensures that nothing is disposable. “It makes me sick to think that every second, a truck full of discarded clothing goes to landfill or incinerators,” she says.
McCartney’s approach to sustainability has never been at the expense of the beautiful and the finely crafted. Her vision spans fashion, art and music, and the brand has teamed up with the likes of Taylor Swift and Grimes. “Having the opportunity to collaborate with incredible creatives I admire is such an honour,” she says. “When I work with artists or musicians, it’s a chance to see the world through their eyes and blend our visions — and values.”
In 2020, McCartney collaborated with the Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara on a unisex capsule collection, marking Nara’s first foray into fashion. McCartney describes it as “a dream come true” and “a unique opportunity to bring his punk-infused, countercultural codes into the world of Stella McCartney”. The duo followed up with a sequel in 2022. “It’s about connecting with people who spark that drive,” McCartney says. “And then we take it further, together.”
The designer’s knack for blending artistry and creativity across disciplines naturally recalls her parents and the creatively fertile formative years of her life. “My first memories of fashion are of exploring their shared wardrobe as a little girl, touching and revering all the beautiful tailoring and pieces,” she says. “I’m so grateful for their love of music, art and style, which are still so relevant to how I dress and design.”
Luxury may be as subjective a denomination as its beholder, but for McCartney, its definition has remained constant, pulsing with a sense of responsibility for the future of the planet. “I hate preachiness,” McCartney says. “But, honestly, the industry needs to join me in committing to using its resources to invest in sustainable innovations and alternatives.” Change filters down, and the standard-bearers of the fashion world need to realise the gravity of their roles. “Luxury, to me, is the freedom to choose better,” she says. “To celebrate life without leaving a trail of destruction behind.”
As Grace Kelly in “To Catch a Thief” (1955) in a Christian Dior dress; antique earrings from Anne Schofield Antiques; and Giorgio Armani shoes, armani.com.
