Stella McCartney
Stella Nina McCartney CBE (born 13 September 1971) is an English fashion designer. She is a daughter of British singer-songwriter Paul McCartney and the American photographer and animals rights activist Linda McCartney.[1] Like her parents, McCartney is a supporter of animal rights and environmentalism, and uses vegetarian and animal-free alternatives in her work. Since 2005, she has designed an activewear collection for Adidas.
Stella McCartney
4
- Paul McCartney (father)
- Linda Eastman (mother)
Mary McCartney (sister)
James McCartney (brother)
Heather McCartney (maternal half-sister)
Beatrice McCartney (paternal half-sister)
Career[edit]
Beginning[edit]
McCartney became interested in designing clothes as a youth. At the age of 13, she designed her first jacket. Three years later, she interned for Christian Lacroix, working on her first haute couture collection, honing her skills while working for Edward Sexton (her father's Savile Row tailor) for a number of years.
McCartney studied her foundation at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication now Ravensbourne University London, followed by fashion design at Central Saint Martins in the early 1990s, graduating in 1995. Her graduation collection was modelled for free by friends and supermodels Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon and Kate Moss, at the graduation runway show, presented to a song especially written by her father, "Stella May Day".[9]
A lifelong vegetarian, McCartney uses no leather or fur in her designs. The Guardian described her in 2015 as a 'consistent and vocal' supporter of animal rights[10].[11]Some of McCartney's designs have text that elaborates on her 'no animal' policy; one of her Adidas jackets carries a sleeve that says 'suitable for sporty vegetarians'. A pair of her vinyl and ultrasuede boots were marketed specifically as vegan-friendly, though her use of oil-based synthetics still raised ecological concerns.[12]
Honours, awards and media[edit]
McCartney received the VH1/Vogue Designer of the Year award in 2000 in New York. Her father Paul presented the award to her; she thanked him in her acceptance speech and dedicated the award to her late mother Linda.[35] This was followed by the Woman of Courage Award for work against cancer at the prestigious Unforgettable Evening event (2003, Los Angeles), the Glamour Award for Best Designer of the Year (2004, London), the Star Honoree at the Fashion Group International Night of the Stars (2004, New York), the Organic Style Woman of the Year Award (2005, New York), the Elle Style Award for Best Designer of the Year Award (2007, London), Best Designer of the Year at the British Style Awards (2007, London), Best Designer of The Year at the Spanish Elle Awards (2008, Barcelona), and the Green Designer of the Year at the ACE Awards (2008, New York).
In 2009, she was honoured by the NRDC, featured in the Time 100 and recognised as Glamour Woman of the Year. In November 2011, she was presented with the Red Carpet Award by the British Fashion Council; and in the 2013 New Year Honours, she was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to fashion.[36][37]
In 2012, McCartney was among the British cultural icons selected by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his artwork – the album cover for The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – to celebrate the British cultural figures of his life that he most admires.[38] The same year, McCartney won the 'Designer of the Year' and the 'Designer Brand' awards at the Fashion Awards.[39]
In February 2013 she was assessed as one of the 100 most powerful women in the United Kingdom by Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4.[40]
In June 2017, McCartney appeared on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, selecting "Road to Nowhere" by Talking Heads and "Blackbird" by the Beatles, and her favourite "God Only Knows" by the Beach Boys.[41] She would later receive the Special Recognition Award for Innovation at the 2017 Fashion Awards[42]
She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours in recognition of her services to fashion and sustainability.[43][44][45]
Personal life[edit]
McCartney married British publisher Alasdhair Willis on 30 August 2003 at Mount Stuart House on the Isle of Bute. Her wedding dress was an updated version of her mother's wedding dress from 1969.[46] Willis works as creative director of shoewear brand Adidas.
McCartney and Willis have four children:[47] sons Miller Alasdhair James Willis (born 2005)[48] and Beckett Robert Lee Willis (born 2008)[49] and daughters Bailey Linda Olwyn Willis (born 2006)[50][51] and Reiley Dilys Stella Willis (born 2010).[52] Her children appeared with her on the cover of Vogue.[53]
McCartney has a younger half-sister, Beatrice Milly McCartney, born on 28 October 2003 to her father and his second wife, Heather Mills.[54]
In 2018, McCartney said: "When my mum died, Dad, my brother and I went to see the Maharishi... I had quite a reaction that I didn't feel in control of. I possibly suppressed my emotions and I started having panic attacks, physical reactions to that loss." She said that transcendental meditation made an almost instantaneous difference in her ability to cope, stating: "It really did help me at a time when I really needed some help."[55]
In 2023, McCartney's plan to build a house in a remote place in Scotland, for which she also planned to cut down trees received more than 50 objections to the local council, many on environmental grounds.[56]
Vegan Cookery
