Stella McCartney says over the last year she has ‘understood her white privilege’

‘It’s been a hard year to watch,’ said the British fashion designer

(Getty Images)

British fashion designer Stella McCartney has given her thoughts on white privilege and the future of the fashion industry.

Speaking at a virtual press conference McCartney was launching her new autumn/winter collection, which was shot inside the art gallery Tate Modern in London

The conversation turned topical as the pioneering designer spoke about the coronavirus pandemic and also revealed that she had taken this year as an opportunity to grow.

McCartney said: “It’s been a hard year to watch. I’ve always had a lot of faith in humans, but as a woman, as a mother, as an employer, understanding my white privilege over the last year has taught me that we have so much more work to do. I’ve been concerned to see some of the politics.”

Long a champion of fur and leather-free collections, lifelong vegetarian McCartney has never shied away from being political with her designs.

McCartney is also a champion of sustainability within fashion as she calls waste “the big enemy”. This A/W collection is made from 77 per cent sustainable materials.

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Having shot and launched this collection without a show, McCartney had some thoughts on the future of fashion shows.

She said: “Shows require so much of human’s resources and the planet’s resources. Seasons that we, the fashion industry, have created feel much less relevant now especially with global warming.”

While it has been a turbulent year for all, McCartney says, “out of a lot of bad has come a lot of good, with a lot of lessons to be learned and work to be done”.

But as for fashion itself, McCartney believes, “There’s an element of rebellion that will happen, and frankly it’s well-deserved. You’ve got to come out of this feeling like you can wear when you want to wear! What has anybody got to lose?”