Stella McCartney has been one of the most ardent advocates of sustainable practices in fashion ever since the debut of her eponymous label—fitting, considering she’s been vegetarian for her entire life. 

After graduating from the prestigious Central Saint Martins in 1995 and being appointed as creative director of Parisian label Chloé in 1997, the British designer unveiled her own label in 2001 in partnership with luxury conglomerate Kering. Upon its launch, the label was noted for its staunch opposition to using leather or fur in any of its products; a value the brand, and McCartney herself, uphold to this day. 

Last week, as the G7 summit took place in Cornwall, England, McCartney urged the leaders present to seriously consider implementing laws that would force the fashion industry to follow more sustainable design practices. 

“I’m really here to ask all of these powerful people in the room to make a shift from convention to a new way of sourcing and new suppliers into the fashion industry,” McCartney declared. “One of the biggest problems that we have in the fashion industry is we’re not policed in any way. We have no laws or legislations that will put hard stops on our industry…. We need to be incentivized, [and] we need to have taxations looked at to work in a better way.” 

McCartney concluded her speech by signing up for the Terra Carta Transition Coalition, stating, “I hope the G7 Summit will translate our message into policies bringing us closer to creating a cruelty-free society that is kinder to all creatures, Mother Earth, and each other.”

The very same week Stella McCartney unveiled her label’s Autumn 2021 collection, titled “Our time has come!.” Inspired by the “rewilding” that took place globally as many of us were forced to restrict travel and adopt a slower pace of life, the campaign takes a nature mockumentary approach featuring models with cutesy animal heads. 

Intended to showcase the animal kingdom’s place as our equals, the campaign, lensed by Mert & Marcus and narrated by British comedian David Walliams, captures the creatures happily reclaiming the city of London—clad in McCartney’s Autumn line, of course. 

It’s also McCartney’s most sustainable collection to date, made with 80% eco-friendly materials, including sustainable faux furs and Econyl, which is crafted from recycled plastic bottles. 

Alongside the campaign, Stella McCartney is encouraging its community to support Humane Society International’s petition to create a totally fur-free society. Find out more about the campaign and how to pledge for a fur-free future at stellamccartney.com. 

In other fashion news, adidas just committed to investing over $3 million USD in sustainable textile company Spinnova.