Product range. Womenswear is king at Stella McCartney. Apart from that, the label also offers footwear, handbags and other accessories, lingerie, clothing for kids, and fragrances. Unlike handbags that are all too mediocre, footwear is worth to have a close look at. Lingerie is everything but nondescript either: you can get pretty much the same pieces at Oysho at the fraction of the price. Childrenswear, however, is different matter altogether: kids just love it. The clothing for kids by Stella McCartney is unrivalled when it comes to classy and ingenious, if bright-coloured, prints. 'adidas by Stella McCartney', an ongoing and highly acclaimed collaboration, also merits special notice. One could hardly call these pieces way more comfy or superior in other respects to adidas staples, but if you'd like to turn heads at the gym, 'adidas by Stella McCartney' is your best friend.
Silhouettes are clean-cut and relaxed at the same time. The pieces are also replete with prints that are anything but trivial. Stella McCartney is a brand of stark contrasts. Flowing train dresses are offered alongside running jackets, tuxedos, layered fringed design skirts, and relaxed suede trench coat in non-leather. Add to this, sundry detailing bits and all kinds of trimming. That said, collections by Stella McCartney make a coherent artistic statement. Her talent is beyond question.
Originality. Stella McCartney blends feminine silhouettes with wearable sportswear-inspired designs. Chiffon blouses with geometric stripes in contrasting colours and dresses with multiple zip fasteners are representative of her style. Clean-cut menswear-inspired silhouettes are also among Stella's trademark touches. Stella McCartney is known as a committed animal rights and the environment advocate, so all items she makes are made of cruelty-free materials only. For footwear, she uses leatherette, plastic, and PVC, while the wood comes from certified sustainable sources.
Chic. Even though the brand is not a trend-setter, it's definitely fashion-forward. Stella McCartney is for young women that are fond of looking as if they made regular appearances in the fashion press. This is not a brand of choice for fashion weeks regulars, but it does its best to look like one. All the latest trends are there, but only those that are most in-demand and commercially viable.
Pricing. Dresses cost about £700, knitwear tops are £500 on average, outerwear starts from £800.
Corporate history highlights. Stella McCartney's career in fashion design has been skyrocketing. The go-getter daughter of Sir Paul McCartney graduated from Central Saint Martins in 1995. In just two years that she spent perfecting her skills at Savile Row, she succeeded Karl Lagerfeld as Chloé's Creative Director. Fashion critics and Lagerfeld himself were somewhat skeptical about the appointment; however, Stella's maiden collection for Chloé proved a success. After her four-year tenure at Chloé, Stella left the company to develop her eponymous brand. It's remarkable that in a matter of just several years under her helm, Chloé's revenues quintupled, the average customer age was found to be lower than ever before, and the brand got popular with celebrities. In 2002, backed up by Gucci Group (now the PPR Luxury Group), Stella launched her namesake luxury brand. The history of Stella McCartney label has been grossly unremarkable and devoid of unexpected plotting twists, turns and tumbles. Perhaps, one thing to mention is that in 2004 the world saw the launch of 'adidas by Stella McCartney', a long-standing and successful collaboration.
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