May 13, 2014
Stella McCartney sandal made with sustainable wood
MEXICO CITY, Mexico – British fashion designer Stella McCartney approaches her business with an innate sustainability mindset, which she explained to the audience May 12 at the FT Business of Luxury Summit.
From using wind power for a store to foregoing leather and PVC, Ms. McCartney considers environmentally friendly so automatically that she forgets she is doing it. This has become part of her namesake label’s story, even if it is one that it does not overtly promote.
“I was always brought up with a sense of values, a sense of responsibility, so when I started in the fashion industry, it was a no-brainer to approach it in a way that was conscious,” Ms. McCartney said.
“For me, I don’t really treat the fashion industry any differently than I would treat any other business,” she said.
Sustainable solution
When Stella McCartney first went into business and chose to operate using sustainable production, others might have thought she was strange, since the luxury industry has not historically thought of its environmental impact.
Choosing to operate an apparel and accessories label without leather is an uncommon decision.
Facebook post from Stella McCartney
However, it is a choice that Ms. McCartney said has led to a healthy business.
The key to having a successful sustainable business is to approach from a fashion perspective first, and then try to figure out how to build that beautiful product from more sustainable materials, rather than letting the materials and cause lead.
This ensures a good client base and products that people will actual want to buy beyond their sustainability.
Sometimes finding this balance can be a challenge.
For instance, organic cotton that makes a fashionable pair of jeans may not be right for a whole collection.
Stella McCartney works to incorporate sustainable fabric
Because of this, Ms. McCartney balances conventional materials with organic.
There is also less stability in production.
Ms. McCartney gave the example of working with a knitting group one season, and then going back to use them two seasons later to find that they were gone.
However, working with small fabric producers allows a designer to have more say in the entire production process, creating materials it wants.
An increase in demand, coming from consumers wanting eco-friendly fashion, will make sourcing materials easier, since more companies will want to work to produce alternatives.
Part of how the designer works to expand the impact of her sustainability practices is by bringing the same set of values and rules to partnerships with mainstream brands, such as Adidas.
Stella McCartney for Adidas
Business balance
As a member of French luxury and sportswear conglomerate Kering, Stella McCartney may have an effect on other brands in the French luxury and sportswear conglomerate’s portfolio. Ms. McCartney says she believes in “infiltrating from within.”
Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering, recently spoke at the third Copenhagen Fashion Summit on sustainability to highlight its work.
Since the first Copenhagen Fashion Summit in 2009, Kering has been a keynote speaker at the biennial event. Kering is able to position itself as a leader in sustainability practices among luxury brands and companies through this participation (see story).
When asked how she balances having to report financials to Kering quarterly with investing in sustainability, Ms. McCartney said that she makes decisions that she knows will pay off in the long-term.
“There are ways to make it work for your business and for the environment at the same time,” Ms. McCartney said.
While Ms. McCartney does try to convince other brands to take on more sustainable production practices, she was not going to point a finger at others who choose to do things more traditionally, saying that she was not perfect herself.
“At the end of the day I only encourage people,” Ms. McCartney said. “Any kind of small step in the right direction means a lot and there’s so many things that companies can do.”
Final Take
Sarah Jones, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York
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