Stella McCartney

Designer and environmentalist Stella McCartney partnered with the Nature Conservancy and Ovis 21, a network of over 160 farmers in Argentina, Uruguay and Chile that aims to undo the effects of more than 100 years of overgrazing due to reckless sheepherding. McCartney hopes that she will inspire others in the fashion industry to follow suit. She says, “I am proud to be expanding the boundaries of what sustainability can look and feel like.” She wants to create pieces that are a high-quality product and that won’t damage the environment in its manufacture nor burden it with more waste.

“My job is to create beautiful luxurious things. I love that people come into the store and don’t even know that something is organic or in faux leather. That’s the biggest challenge, having people not notice. We do great knitwear, which is where organic is most successful-you can get very delicate natural dyes. So many friends turn up in my knitwear and say how much they love it, and when I say it’s organic it’s a little added bonus to them, rather than a choice. I prefer it that way.”

Stella McCartney launched nine years ago, with her father Paul and sister Mary McCartney the Meat Free Monday campaign as a simple and straightforward idea to show everyone the value of eating less meat – and to make it easier for us to do so.  The Meat Free Monday Cookbook is aimed at everyone who cares about the environment and by giving up meat for one day a week you can save money, reduce your environmental impact and live a healthier life.

The book available from my store.

Read more from the New York Times.