As for what can actually be revealed? “Prints, sparkles, lace,” says Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s head of womenswear. “The red-carpet looks are a teaser and within them are various little archive details that fashion fans will for sure spot.” Such as: the lace-trimmed camisoles of her autumn/winter 1999 collection for Chloé, vest straps interlinked with the chains of her 2009 Falabella It-bag, the sequined party numbers of her spring/summer 2005 collection, and the python prints of her Resort 2014 proposal. “We wanted to make sure we captured the Stella attitude,” Johansson continues. “The feminine strength, the insouciance. From her pioneering work at Chloé in the ’90s, when she brought a cool London energy to Paris, to her rule-breaking designs under her own label in the ’00s.”
You can trace the story even further back to McCartney’s apprenticeship with Edward Sexton, the Savile Row tailor who made her father Paul McCartney’s suits. “It was that experience which shaped my eye for cut and precision in design,” says McCartney. “Bringing that heritage into this collaboration is deeply personal. Reworking all these pieces with H&M genuinely feels like returning to my roots. It’s brought back so much energy and joy to revisit it all.” But everything, for McCartney, always comes back to “craft with conscience”. Ie, the belief that desirable fashion can still be kind to the planet. “Even the recycled rhinestones reflect the world I’m fighting for – beautiful, responsible, and forward-thinking.”
Ann-Sofie Johansson and Stella McCartney.
H&M is welcoming these conversations. “There are really two key aspects to explain here,” says Johansson. “One relates to the collection, which features certified, responsible materials, many of them recycled. The other, equally important, is the launch of a brand-new Insights Board, which will bring together voices from across fashion to create a space for meaningful discussion.” She explains that this new group has been designed to challenge H&M’s and the industry’s processes – from supply chain practices to material innovation – which are endemic to the industry at large. “Both Stella and all of us at H&M are aligned in the belief that true change can only happen when the industry works collectively.” McCartney hopes the initiative will serve as an inflection point in how the sector approaches sustainability. “This second partnership feels like a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come in sustainability, cruelty-free practices and conscious design – and to stay honest about how far we still have to go. Real change only happens when we push from both the outside and the inside, and I’ve always believed in infiltrating from within to move the industry forward.”
