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5 WAYS STELLA CONTINUES TO LEAD THE WAY IN SUSTAINABILITY
We have been fans of Stella McCartney's approach to design for many years but did you know since 2008 she continually pushes boundaries to make luxurious products that are both beautiful and sustainable. With every year and every new collection she ups the ante. From banning fur and leather in her collections, only using organic cotton from the very beginning to ensuring that all of their paper and cardboard packaging was certified sustainable. Here's the 5 ways Stella McCartney leads the way in sustainability...
Stella McCartney highlighting the urgency of Climate Change at her Spring Summer Resort 2020 presentation in Milan, June 2019.
1. She Sources Her Materials from the Right Places
From knitwear which is made from re-engineered cashmere yet still offers the same soft, insulating qualities as cashmere without the environmental impact associated with animal raising, to viscose which come from sustainably managed and certified forests in Sweden. To organically grown cotton which ensures no pesticides are used, supporting biodiversity and safer, healthier working conditions for farmers and local communities.
2. She's Brave
McCartney's Sustainability Director Claire Bergkamp says: "Stella has a pioneering nature, and her bravery - is why people think of her, when we’re talking about sustainability... it comes with a level of integrity because it’s personal…this is not a marketing exercise, it’s a way of revolutionising how fashion does business."
Cosy up in Stella McCartney safe in the knowledge that her collection, as always, is leather, feather and fur free. It features recycled polyester, organic cotton, regenerated cashmere, sustainable viscose, responsible and traceable wool.
3. She Champions Cruelty & Leather Free
Stella has been leather and skin free since the began in 2001, the brand doesn’t believe that animals should die for the sake of fashion. This is because animal agriculture is driving the destruction of our rainforests. Around 80% of the deforested area of the Amazon is now used for cattle pastures. Animal agriculture accounts for approximately 18% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. For every tonne of animal hide tanned, almost 300kg of toxic chemicals are released into the environment – often entering local water systems. The environmental impact of our animal free, cruelty-free leather is up to 24 times lower than animal leathers.
4. Life is Fallabella
McCartney's Fallabella is one of the first iconic handbags to not be created from leather - recycled polyester is used on her bestselling bags, which are lined with polyester made from plastic bottles. Recycled polyester requires less than half the energy to produce compared to virgin polyester, with a 28% reduction in greenhouse emissions. Meaning you get an investment accessory without the impact on the environment.
5. She Respects her People
Stella considers the origins of the fabrics we wear to be as important as those who make and wear them, “The future of fashion relies on people, including those who make clothes, the farmers who grow the crops, our employees and customers,” she continues, “We want to ensure a positive impact on the people we depend on and those who depend on us in return.” Her collaborations with everyone from the Ethical Trading Initiative and the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute have been key in highlighting the farm and factory worker's plight in the industry.
MORE TO READ
Lean more about The Future of Clothes from author of Fashionopolis Dana Thomas.