Stella McCartney
Rated: Great
Price: $$$
Location: UK
Quick verdict
Stella McCartney is best for luxury consumers who want uncompromising vegan fashion from the brand that invented the category. The house has never used leather, fur, or skins since its 2001 founding, predating sustainability as a trend by nearly two decades. Its material innovation portfolio is unmatched: mushroom leather (Mylo), apple leather (UPPEAL), grape leather (VEGEA), seaweed yarn (Kelsun), and air-purifying fabric (PURE.TECH). The major caveats: Remake scored the brand just 17/150 on accountability, and labor transparency remains weak.
Key info
- Headquarters
- London, United Kingdom
- Founded
- 2001
- Product categories
- Womenswear, Accessories, Dresses
- Price range
- $$$
- Key certifications
- ETI member, SBTi-committed, UNFCCC Fashion Charter signatory, PETA Person of the Year 2024, Four Paws "Best" (90%)
Stella McCartney sustainability rating
Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (We Avoid) to 5 (Excellent). How we rate
Rating breakdown
The undisputed leader in next-gen material innovation. Pioneered commercial use of Mylo mushroom leather, MIRUM plastic-free leather, UPPEAL apple leather, VEGEA grape leather, Kelsun seaweed yarn, KOBA recyclable fur-free fur, and PURE.TECH air-purifying fabric. Eliminated virgin cashmere (replaced with Re.Verso recycled, reducing impact by 92%). 78% organic cotton. Fully European traceable viscose chain.
ETI member since 2012 with policies based on ILO conventions. Products primarily handcrafted in Italy. Supply chain mapped to Tier 2 since 2016. However, no evidence living wages are actually paid. Remake scored just 17/150. Labour transparency remains weak.
Pioneered EP&L accounting (monetizing environmental impacts). Net-zero by 2040 target. SBTi-aligned targets (46.2% Scope 3 reduction by 2030). 76% reduction in operational emissions achieved. Co-founded $200M Collab SOS Fund. However, wool and silk still account for 68% of material carbon footprint.
Publishes annual Impact Reports, EP&L results, Modern Slavery Statements, and detailed material composition on product pages. Supply chain traced to Tier 2. Sustainability timeline publicly available. Gaps remain in factory-level wage data and worker welfare metrics.
Bags $835–$4,050, shoes $725–$955, T-shirts from $300. Firmly luxury pricing. Sustainable materials are inherently costlier, and Italian artisan production commands premiums. But this renders the brand inaccessible to the vast majority of consumers seeking sustainable fashion. Revenue declined to £21.9M in 2023 with £25M losses, suggesting pricing tension.
What they do well
- The original pioneer of luxury sustainable fashion: never used leather, fur, feathers, or skins since day one in 2001, proving luxury and ethics can coexist before anyone else tried
- Unmatched material innovation pipeline with commercial-first deployments of Mylo mushroom leather, MIRUM plastic-free leather, UPPEAL apple leather, VEGEA grape leather, Kelsun seaweed yarn, and PURE.TECH air-purifying denim
- EP&L impact accounting since 2012: one of the first brands to monetise environmental costs across the entire supply chain, using the data to make concrete decisions (e.g., eliminating virgin cashmere after it showed 42% of impact from 0.1% of materials)
- Industry-wide influence: co-founded $200M Collab SOS Fund, exhibited at COP28 and G7, drove Kering's PVC ban, and influenced both Kering and LVMH to join Canopy's forest protection initiative
- PETA Person of the Year 2024 and Four Paws "Best" brand (90% score) for animal welfare leadership
Room for improvement
- Remake's 2021 accountability score of just 17/150 is strikingly low for a brand positioned as an ethical leader, particularly weak on wages and commercial practices. Both environmental and labour transparency remain weak.
- Many "leather alternatives" (Alter-Nappa, Alter Mat) are polyester/polyurethane-based, essentially plastic with end-of-life microplastic concerns. Bio-based alternatives (Mylo, MIRUM) exist but aren't yet scaled across the full range.
- Not B Corp certified despite positioning as the gold standard of sustainable luxury, while competitor Chloé achieved certification in 2021. Revenue decline (£40M to £21.9M, 2022–2023) with mounting losses raises questions about commercial viability of the sustainability-premium model.
About Stella McCartney
Stella McCartney (daughter of Beatle Paul McCartney and animal rights campaigner Linda McCartney) was raised vegetarian on an organic farm. After studying at Central Saint Martins and a transformative stint at Chloé (where she succeeded Karl Lagerfeld at 25), she launched her eponymous house in 2001 as a 50/50 joint venture with Kering. The non-negotiable from day one: zero leather, fur, feathers, or skins.
The brand's material innovation is its defining achievement. It introduced Eco Alter-Nappa vegetarian leather in 2013, eliminated virgin cashmere in 2016 (switching to Re.Verso recycled, cutting impact by 92%), debuted the world's first Mylo mushroom-leather garments in 2021, and launched the first commercially available mushroom-leather bag (Frayme Mylo) in 2022. Recent innovations include Kelsun seaweed yarn, FEVVERS plant-based feathers, and PURE.TECH air-purifying fabric. Products are primarily handcrafted in Italy by artisan manufacturers.
The brand pioneered Environmental Profit & Loss accounting, monetising impacts across its supply chain since 2012. After buying out Kering's stake in 2018 and selling a 49% minority to LVMH in 2019, McCartney repurchased full independence in January 2025. She remains LVMH's Global Ambassador for Sustainability. The SS2026 collection featured 98% sustainable, 100% cruelty-free materials—a controversial H&M collaboration is planned for Spring 2026.
Product highlights
Falabella Mini Tote
Iconic slouchy tote with diamond-cut chain trim; Shaggy Deer fabric (55% polyester, 45% GRS-certified recycled polyester), organic cotton lacing, recycled brass chain
~$1,295
World's first vegan luxury "it" bag (2009); every component is recycled/organic; handcrafted by Italian artisans
Frayme S-Wave Shoulder Bag
Bold chain-framed silhouette in Alter Mat vegan leather or UPPEAL apple-based vegan leather
~$1,225–$1,695
UPPEAL versions use agricultural waste from the apple juice industry; Mylo mushroom-leather version was a world-first
Elyse Platform Shoes
Signature platform derby with wooden wedge; available in Eco Brush Mat, VEGEA grape leather, or mirrored Alter Mat
~$835
Iconic sustainable footwear silhouette; Sneak-Elyse variant uses grape-waste material from Italian wineries
ECONYL Close-the-Loop Parka
Mono-material parka in 100% regenerated ECONYL nylon from fishing nets; designed for disassembly with QR code for return/recycling
~$2,000+
First luxury garment fully designed for circularity, can be recycled back into new fibre at end of life
![24 Ethical & Sustainable Clothing Brands UK [2026]](/images/blog/sustainable-brands-uk.webp)
