This English fashion designer is known for her sharp tailoring, modern clothing, and strong ethical design stance.
Famed daughter of Beatles member Paul McCartney, Stella spent much of her early years traveling with her parent’s band, The Wings. Despite her rock star past, Stella’s designs embody an inimitable take on elegance, incorporating both the classic and contemporary. Vogue Editor Anna Wintour once described McCartney’s look as that of “the girl who when she gets dressed puts on her favorite pair of Manolos, a T-shirt dress she wore in high school, and then rifles through her grandmother’s attic for a spare family tiara.”
McCartney, a mother of four and devout vegetarian, refuses to use leather and fur in her designs, calling her clothes “responsible luxury.” Her ongoing support of the activist group PETA has honed her as one of Britain’s most ethical (and most talented) designers.
McCartney now has 23 freestanding stores across the world, and isn’t looking to slow down any time soon. The British designer is currently gearing up for the 2012 Olympics, working as creative director and designer of the official Team Great Britain attire.
Timeline:
1971 Born in Lambeth, London on September 13
1986 Interns with Christian Lacroix
1992 Finishes foundation courses at Ravensbournce College of Design and Communication
Enters Central Saint Martins to study fashion design
Works for Edward Sexton, her father’s Savile Row tailor
1995 Graduates from Central St. Martin
Graduation collection modeled by Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon and Kate Moss
Produces first collection under the “Stella McCartney” label
1997 Appointed Creative Director of Chloé in Paris
1998 Shows first Chloé collection
2000 Designs Madonna’s wedding dress for the pop star’s marriage to Guy Ritchie
2001 Launches her fashion house under her name, becoming the first female designer to be signed by Gucci Group
Shows first signature collection in Paris
2003 Launches first perfume, “Stella”
Marries British publisher Alasdhair Willis on August 30
Receives honorary degree from the University of Dundee
2002 Creates T-shirts in collaboration with British artist Gary Hume to aid the Revolutionary
Association of Women of Afghanistan
2004 Launches Adidas by Stella McCartney
Designs costumes for Madonna’s Re-Invention Tour, Annie Lennox’s summer tour, and
the film “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow”
2005 Gives birth to first child, Miller Alasdhair James Willis
Launches H&M line
2006 Gives birth to second child, Bailey Linda Olwyn Willis
2007 Launches all-organic skincare line called CARE with YSL Beauté
Designs limited edition collection for Target Australia
2008 Launches lingerie line
Gives birth to third child, Beckett Robert Lee Willis
Creates collection for Lesportsac
2009 Designs summer 2009 capsule collection for Net-a-Porter
Debuts Stella McCartney for GapKids and BabyGap
Featured in the Times 100
2010 Appointed Team GB’s Creative Director for the 2012 Olympics by Adidas
Creates Alice in Wonderland-inspired jewelry collection for Disney
2011 Creates costumes for the NYC Ballet’s Ocean’s Kingdom