Stella McCartney is a British Fashion Designer best known for her eponymous fashion label.She is renowned for her outspoken nature when it comes to the issue of animal rights. McCartney is a fashion news-maker for her sharp, simple tailoring with feminine edges and an approach to wearable design.

Formative Life

Stella was born on 13th September, 1971 to former Beatles member Paul McCartney and late Linda McCartney, American musician and animal rights activist. She gained interest in designing fashion clothes as a youth, creating her first jacket at the age of 13. At 16, she interned at Christian Lacroix where she designed on her first Haute Couture collection. She completed her graduation from Central Saint Martins in 1995, with friends Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss modelling for her college graduation show. The collection made front page fashion news and was sold to Tokyo, a London Boutique. In March 1997, she was appointed the creative designer of Parisian fashion label Chloe. A year later, she designed her sister Mary’s wedding dress.

Career

“It’s not about what it looks like in the studio or on the runway. It’s what it looks like on a real person that matters. That isn’t easy but it’s fun.” – Interview for Women’s Wear Daily

She launched her eponymous fashion label in 2001, in collaboration with Gucci (now Kering), and showcased her first collection in Paris. She currently operates 23 freestanding stores and has her fashion clothes distributed in over 50 countries worldwide. Her first perfume ‘Stella’ was launched in the year 2003. Apart from these ventures, she also has an organic skincare line ‘Care’ and a lingerie line which were launched in 2007 and 2008 respectively. In November 2010, the Stella McCartney Kids Collection was launched, with products designed for newborns and children up to the age of 12.

Collaborations

Apart from her own fashion collection, McCartney has also worked on collaborations with various renowned fashion labels and celebrities:

• 2004, She designed fashion clothes for Madonna’s Re-Invention tour and Jude Law’s costume for the film World of Tomorrow. She launched a joint-venture line with Adidas, establishing a long-term partnership. The collection was known as ‘Adidas by Stella McCartney’.
• 2005, she designed for the high street fashion clothes giant H&M. The 40-piece collection was launched in November and sold out immediately.
• 2008, she collaborated with lingerie fashion label Bendon. She also launched a handbag collection for La Sportsac.
• 2009-2010, she launched her first children’s wear collection for ‘GAP Kids’. She also announced her collaboration with Disney to create an Alice in Wonderland inspired jewelry collection.
• 2012, she designed outfits for Great Britain’s Olympic team.

Associations With PETA

“People in fashion just don’t want to hear the messages. I find it astounding, because fashion is supposed to be all about change- I mean we’re supposed to be at the cutting edge! I can only think that they don’t care as much as people in other industries. So, yes, I think people in fashion are pretty heartless.” – Interview for The Guardian, 2009

Following in the footsteps of her mother, McCartney is a staunch supporter of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and a strict vegetarian. She refuses to use fur or leather in her designs, though she continues to use wool, silk and other animal-derived fabrics. She has raised her voice many times in support of animal rights. Some of her designs feature text that elaborate on her ‘no animals’ policy (for her fashion clothes collection for Adidas, one of the jackets said ‘Suitable for Sporty Vegetarians’).

Laurels

“I suppose what I’m trying to do with my work is to make the [women who buy my fashion clothes] feel just as important as they think.. Famous people are. Because they are!” - Interview for Vogue, 2012.

Having contributed a lot to the fashion world with her new fashion styles, Stella McCartney has collected several laurels over the years:

• 2000, VH1/ Vogue Designer of the Year, New York.
• 2004, Glamour Award for Best Designer of the Year, London
• 2005, Organic Style Women of the Year Award, New York
• 2007, Elle Style Award for the Best Designer of the Year, London
• 2008, Green Designer of the Year at the ACE Awards, New York
• 2011, featured in the Times 100 and named Glamour magazine’s ‘Woman of the Year’.

Picture courtesy - CNN.com, wikimedia.org, nbcnews.com, peta.org and cdn3.yoox.biz