CHANGE THE HISTORY: The Summer 2023 shoot, starring Madelyn Cline
Actor and animal lover Madelyn Cline is shot by Theo Wenner at The Gentle Barn in our Summer 2023 collection. It is led by ‘CHANGE THE HISTORY’ – an activist slogan by legendary Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara, whose work features in the offer this season’s edit; a call-to-action for a new generation of changemakers.
The Gentle Barn is a non-profit animal sanctuary located in Santa Clarita, California, with a mission to provide a refuge for abused creatures. It set the scene for our own mission and message, with Madelyn Cline captured amongst its six acres of farmyards and fields. A completely vegan property with a holistic approach to care, The Gentle Barn houses over 170 animals including cows, horses, pigs, sheep, chickens, llamas, emus, cats, dogs and birds – many of whom feature in our shoot.
There’s truly nothing like developing a bond with an animal. This collection is special to me for that very reason and when Stella told me we were shooting with animals at The Gentle Barn, I was elated. We spent the day loving on animals, feeding them, and getting to know them. We are all connected and this collection celebrates a harmonious relationship between fashion, animals and our Earth.
The animals’ names and unique stories feature prominently, reinforcing our mantra that all creatures should be loved regardless of age or species.
In the United Kingdom alone there are over 600,000 vegans, more than quadrupling in the last decade (The Vegan Society). We believe that as more people reconsider their habits in the kitchen, this should extend to their closets.
The same agricultural industrial complex that breeds, rears and slaughters over 92 billion land animals annually (Humane Society International) also fuels the fashion industry’s hunger for leather – as well as polluting waterways, poisoning tannery workers and driving the destruction of vital ecosystems, including the Amazon rainforest.
What is more punk than upending the entire food and fashion industrial complex by removing animal products from the equation? My mantra right now is: ‘We are what we eat, we are what we wear’. Our choices have an interconnected impacts and if we want to change the history and protect Mother Earth for future generations, we must take action – from stopping eating meat, to ending the needless deaths of animal for fashion.
Emphasising silhouette and wardrobe, the Summer 2023 runway collection reaffirms the Stella DNA – revisiting brand codes in a new light. Evening glamour returns with all-over lead-free crystal embellishments on all-in-ones, cut-out dresses and fluid tops over asymmetric skirts.Cut from forest-friendly viscose, this fabric is responsibly sourced, traceable and never from ancient or endangered forests – verified by the CanopyStyle Audit.
A surf girl attitude emanates with limoncello vests, trousers and a standout double satin dress, photographed on Glass Onion: Knives Out actress Madelyn Cline.
In keeping with this message, the Summer 2023 collection is – as always – entirely free from leather, feathers, fur and exotic skins. Our material innovations are proof that there is a better way, a new future of fashion that shows love for animals and the environment around us.
The Summer 2023 collection includes the world’s first-ever luxury garment made from regenerative cotton, sourced from our SOKTAS project in Turkey. Launched in 2019, it is now run in partnership with LVMH and is collaborating with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) to advance blockchain traceability technology.
Regenerative agriculture supports biodiversity, improves soil health and helps to fight climate change, drawing down and sequestering carbon from the atmosphere.
The ready-to-wear collection is made using 91% conscious materials, Stella’s most responsible ever when it was launched. Summer 2023 is available to shop globally in-store and online now.
