Stella McCartney at Hampden Clothing (use code GRECHEN15 for 15% off)
Stella McCartney Petra dress
Stella McCartney Brogues (sustainable wood and faux leather)
70’s flare jeans
Falabella small tote in wicker
NOTE: This post is one of a series of posts I’ll be doing for all Grechen’s Closet’s partners. These posts are not sponsored and have been written and initiated entirely by me. They contain affiliate links where applicable, and are meant to be a more in depth look at Grechen’s Closet’s most valued partners/advertisers; I couldn’t do this without them.
Looking back to the very beginning of my journey towards more responsible shopping, I remember holding Stella McCartney up as the bellwether for truly ethical, sustainable fashion. She is firmly in the luxury sector, definitely, and mostly out of reach price-wise, but Stella McCartney is a pioneer.
Mostly, she is known for her commitment to not using leather or animal products in any of her designs (although she uses wool, and had a dust-up with her wool supply chain recently), but she does so much more than that:
- In 2014 the company increased their use of certified organic cotton: 72% of our denim collection was made from organic cotton and 54% of the cotton jersey was made from organic cotton.
- They have increased their use of LED lighting in stores/locations all over the world. All of the new stores use LED lighting and older stores were updated to 100% LED; LED lights use 75% less energy and last more than 25 times longer than traditional light bulbs.
- They complete yearly Profit & loss summaries to be sure they’re monitoring their supply chain appropriately
- The company refuses to sell fragrance in China because government regulations there require animal testing.
I could go on…and you can read a lot more at Stella McCartney including about the materials she uses in her designs, company sourcing practices, and their membership in the Ethical Trade Initiative which works to improve working conditions around the world.
Talk about radical transparency…
Her designs aren’t so bad either. Not everything is my style, exactly, but I’ve been tempted by a few things over the years. The bags are beautiful, although don’t seem practical enough for me, but from when I’ve seen them in person, they’re very high quality and sturdy. They don’t necessarily “look” like leather either, but also NOT like leather if that makes sense; they’re very unique in that way. I just don’t get the chain handles!
Do you know much about Stella McCartney? Have you ever considered purchasing a piece?
Thank you Hampden Clothing for being such a loyal Grechen’s Closet partner for so many years 🙂
Two years ago I was tempted by the chain bags but (unless she has re-vamped the design) they are really far too heavy to use in everyday life. Her clothes don’t do anything for me, I have never been tempted – in my opinion, they are a bit plain and ordinary.
What did impress me though is the range of clothes she designed for team GB at the Rio Olympics – OK if you’re from the UK as they are available for purchase.
Oh! I’m going to check out the uniforms now…
I like a lot of Stella McCartney’s designs–very funky and unique–but i find the price point to be above what I can afford. I did buy one of her tops that she designed for Adidas a few years ago but ended up giving it away b/c it wasn’t very practical for me (kind of had a weird cut-out design in the shoulders). I might have another look with your 15% off code though, and I do appreciate her efforts in “ethical” designing.
I’ve looked at her bags and shoes, but there’s something I can only get with real leather. I do appreciate that she’s one of the few designers that puts her money where her mouth is!
yes, i agree – about leather – but i’m beginning to feel otherwise. or, i want to buy less leather, i should say….
i usually like the adidas stella mccartney pieces from afar, but whenever i try them on, they are WEIRD. never fit right.
Good ethics but ugly clothes. Nothing attractive about these clothes. I do not understand why anyone would pay $$$ for such designs? Just because of the name? I guess I must not be a fashionista.