How Stella McCartney Changed The Face Of Fashion As We Know It

Stella McCartney may be the daughter of world-famous Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, but she has undoubtedly carved her own inimitable path in the world of fashion.

Having launched her eponymous label in April 2001 under the Gucci Group, the designer not only introduced her infamous tailoring to fashion critics but her committed animal rights support.

We take a look back at her revolutionary designs, which undoubtedly changed the way fashion is consumed forever.

How Stella changed the mindset of the fashion masses

Having followed in the footsteps of her mother Linda McCartney, Stella (who practices vegetarianism) has woven her core values into each and every collection - refusing to use furs, leather and animal skins within the process.

Other renowned fashion houses would have undoubtedly fallen at the early stages, often reliant upon the use of animal skins but Stella prevailed. In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, the designer recalled the beginnings of her career and the hardships that she faced in order to be taken seriously.

“Yes, early in my career I was blatantly ridiculed for it. I always felt that leather and fur are the conventions of our industry,” she said. “It’s not new and it’s not sustainable. None of it turns me on.”

Failing to render a positive response from the notoriously hard to crack fashion industry at first, Stella was eventually given an ultimatum. The Gucci Group, gave her a deadline of three years to start turning over profits otherwise the designer would lose out on financial support.

In a bid to boost the brand, Stella launched a series of collaborative projects including one with high street chain H&M in 2005. Profits soon soared and the designer found herself on the fashion map, where she would remain to this very day.

Yet in a business pinned to the use of animal skins, Stella faced (and still faces) a healthy fight. In a 2014 interview with The Telegraph, Stella admitted that her fashion business would be five times bigger if it didn’t commit to the sustainable philosophy she has built her brand on but she admitted, “Luckily, I like a challenge.” And a challenge it has most certainly been.

Her evolutionary presence within the fashion sphere

The graduate collection

When Stella McCartney presented her final year collection at Central Saint Martins, it was not your average student fanfare. With her father Paul McCartney in the FROW and the likes of pals Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss as her models, it was bound to cause a sartorial stir.

And it did. With tiny top hats and wide lapelled blazers, it was a true demonstration of Stella's tailoring skills. Which she would put to use in future collections...

Her stellar debut

Stella debuted her collection in October 2001 during Paris Fashion Week but despite high anticipation, didn’t receive a positive rapture from fashion critics. With cockney rhyming slang emblazoned across cropped t-shirts and cutout lace leotards, it was far from the minimalist display she puts on now.

Her commitment to sustainable fashion

In 2014, Stella McCartney teamed up with Livia Firth, founder of the Green Carpet Challenge to design a line of sustainable clothing.

The collection was debuted at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in Mayfair and drew a celeb-filled crowd including the likes of Drew Barrymore, Samuel L Jackson and Mario Testino.

The colour block collection was a success and gave Stella the opportunity to experiment with new materials including a new organic material.

Cheering up the face of fashion

Models know how to have fun during a Stella show. Case in point is the autumn/winter '14 show, when Cara Delevingne danced her way down the runway (Impromptu or planned? The jury is still out). The cheery model clasped hands with Joan Smalls and if anything, showed just how much movement can be achieved through Stella's iconic knitted flares.

The revolutionary 'illusion' dress

Coveted by celebrities far and wide, the optical illusion style dress Stella McCartney first introduced was continuously pictured on the red carpet.

Donned by the likes of Kate Moss and Miranda Kerr, the trend was undoubtedly a success.

And with an ethos dedicated to 'helping change people’s perception of eco fashion' through 'beautiful and modern clothing and accessories', we cannot wait to see what Stella McCartney brings next.

Take a look back at Stella's greatest achievements within the fashion industry:

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