Stella McCartney opened her Fall/Winter 2023 collection during Paris Fashion Week with seven horses galloping around L’École Militaire – France’s oldest equestrian school. The rather unexpected move from the British designer caused quite the debate on social media, as many argued using live animals for entertainment wasn’t exactly “Vegan friendly.”

Despite the criticism, McCartney stood up to her decision by noting that the show was “both a celebration of the love between humans and animals, as well as a call-to-action to take a stand for our planet.” Whether it was the most ethical choice to portray the metaphor this way or not is up for debate, but the truth is, the label’s season presentation showcased a conscious line-up made with 92% cruelty-free, plant-based materials.

McCartney continuously advocates for protecting Mother Earth, animals and communities. Hence, the luxury brand is known for never sourcing animal skins for leather due to the negative environmental impact this has on biodiversity loss, land degradation and inhumane treatment of animals. However, finding climate-friendly leather alternatives can be quite challenging, since they are often crafted from fossil fuel-derived synthetics.

This is why the Stella McCartney imprint is constantly investing in and developing new and innovative leather alternatives that meet strict environmental, social and luxury quality standards. For the FW23 season, McCartney successfully debuted new iterations of her iconic Falabella and Frayme bags crafted from the all-natural, plastic-free material MIRUM®.

MIRUM® is an entirely first-known scalable, plastic-, fossil fuel- and water-free alternative to animal leather developed by the revolutionary company Natural Fibre Welding (NFW). This durable and responsible material uses plant-based nutrients that are naturally abundant and renewable. It also has an extremely low carbon footprint as it’s derived from all-natural inputs and requires no tanning.

On bringing this vision to life, the designer shared: “I have long dreamed of the day when we would see a plant-based alternative to leather that does not kill a single creature and can be easily given back to Mother Earth without creating waste. There is no compromise on desirability or durability; the future of fashion has arrived.”

The MIRUM®-made Falabella and Frayme are USDA-certified bio-based and plastic-free. They are also crafted from mycelium and have a C4 backing (California Cotton and Climate Coalition), benefitting biodiversity and improving soil health. Both accessories are expected to drop later in the year, but in the meantime, there is more information on Stella McCartney’s use of MIRUM® on the luxury label’s website.

In other Natural Fiber Welding news, the material innovator has announced a new project in collaboration with TENCEL™ – an effort to change the fashion industry for the better.