>> Stella McCartney is synonymous with vegan fashion — she's a member of PETA and has been known to get upset when her pieces have been used in conjunction with fur. Next Monday, she's being honored in New York with an environmental award, because her commitment to ethical fashion goes beyond just a stance against animal cruelty, as she explained recently to Suzy Menkes:
Well I don't do leather and I don't do fur and it's not just because I don't eat animals or that I think that half a billion animals a year shouldn't be killed for the sake of fashion. It's because I also believe very much in the connection between fur and leather and the environment. There's a huge connection. Now, I think more and more people will start to take notice of that — the use of water for tanneries, the chemicals that are used — there's a huge impact environmentally.
She extends the responsibility beyond just the clothes.
I try and just think responsibly in the way that I approach business. We have stores, for instance, around the world and the majority of them are powered by wind power. Our headquarters is powered by wind. We have bags that are all recycled paper; we have biodegradable corn bags; we're just very conscious — we just think like that. It's sort of part of everyday life now for me and for the people that work with me.
And there's a reason her line is more straight-forward than trendy.
I'm very much not a designer about disposable fashion, so you're kind of barking up either the right tree or the wrong tree there. I very much believe in creating pieces that aren't going to get burnt, that aren't going to landfills, that aren't going to damage the environment there.
We're working in a very interesting day and age in this industry and I think that my take on it is to learn and try to change and change and change. Not necessarily change in silhouette or in color every season; for me it's about materials, and I'm really excited, as a designer, to create a pair of boots that are made out of biodegradable suede — fake suede. I'm, like, 'O.K., that's really interesting.'
*image: source
Yogo Ego
Juicy Couture
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Love such ethical designer! It's not only the fashion industry, but the whole world was badly needed!
www.journeytofashion.com
all we need is someone like her! i am an amateur designer and if i were to be a famous designer i would be like her... very fashion forward and anti-fur! kudos stella!
She is just famous because of her father, her designs are so commercial.
x
i like her style about everything. she seems fun
The only problem I have with her statement is that she seems to forget just how toxic plastic is. For example the plastic used to make her vegan-leather accessories and the toxic emissions caused by this. Also, the fact that leather decomposes where as vegan-leather does not. The only company that I've read that makes biodegradable vegan products is Bourgeois Boheme.
Both materials have their positive points and negative points but in my opinion in terms of the environment leather is definitely friendlier. And in any event it is the by product of the meat industry which shows no chance of ceasing so we may as well recycle these byproducts into something useful.
Surely recycling the byproducts of a completely different industry is far better than creating a totally new product and a much more toxic one at that.
While traditional methods of tanning are indeed toxic many companies like Terra plana, for instance use vegetable-tanned leather to make their shoes.
Anyways to each his own.
DELAVALLE! What isnt toxic, anymore? At least she is trying to make a difference ! Does anyone notice how little complaints Stella McCartney gets on what she is trying to stand for... I am so happy her clothes are just as popular as the highend designers and as expensive. Sadly wealthy narcissistic people in the world think, "the more expensive the better!"
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