CHANGING CLOTHES

Inside Stella McCartney's quest to transform the fashion industry from within

- NAINA BAJEKAL

STELLA MCCARTNEY DOESN'T WANT YOU TO FEEL BAD. THE BRITish fashion designer understands it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the ways the products we eat, buy, and wear come with unintended consequences for society, for animals, for the planet. And so even if she's talking about the harrowing conditions workers suffer in fast-fashion factories or the devastating climate impact of animal agriculture, she's eager to emphasize that the goal isn't guilt. It's hard work to be the best you can be, after all, especially when what many of us want is seemingly impossible: to live more sustainably without giving up the luxuries and conveniences of modern life. We want to look good, feel good, and still somehow do good.

And so McCartney, 51, is trying to make that a little easier. Creator of the first ever vegan "It bag"-the slouchy faux-leather Falabella tote with a sleek silver-chain trim-McCartney has spent her career trying to show the world that ethical choices don't have to mean compromising on glamour. Since the launch of her namesake label in 2001, she has created luxury clothing that celebrates modern femininity-her brand is a closet staple for countless celebrities-while eschewing leather, feathers, and fur. She also made a name for herself as one of the cool girls of the noughties, out with Kate Moss, Madonna, and Gwyneth Paltrow. (A 2000 Vogue profile called her "a girl who loves to make a little trouble, get a rise, stir things up.")