Autumn 2023: An iconic Stella collection, made for Tree Huggers
Autumn 2023 gets back to Stella’s roots. Inspired by a love for trees, forests and all that they provide for Mother Earth, the collection is a strident reinforcement of our iconic styles – bringing them into the now with contemporary details, cuts and pioneering materials.
Join us in protecting Mother Earth’s forests by signing our Nature Needs Half petition with Canopy - ensuring 50% of the Earth’s land and water are conserved by 2030.
About the collection
The collection centres around nature as our always and forever inspiration, embodied in our signature forest-friendly viscose – a versatile fabric that Stella has developed into a modern library of exclusive weaves and finishes.
From woodgrain patterns to this season’s standout python print, a Mother Earth-centric, plant-based conversation is expressed on dresses and separates, Savile Row tailoring and oversized teddy coats.
I love this season’s agelessness and sophistication with nature as my forever inspiration. I wanted to emphasise a love for trees and the British countryside, embodied in our forest-friendly viscose.
Abstract tree-bark appears on a shiny black double weave fil coupé midi dress and jacquard separates – a reminder of trees and their importance. Woodgrain patterns are woven in cloque-and-brocade techniques on tailored blazers, suit trousers and asymmetric skirts, alongside teddy coats, fluffy knit jumpers and wallflower print dresses made from GOTS-certified organic silk.
Python print – and our innovative Alter Python alternative to exotic animal leather – slithers across chiffon skirts, elegant shirts and shirtdresses, ankle boots and Stella 100 stiletto heels. Oversized belted coating is handcrafted from recyclable crimped teddy – our vegan alternative to animal fur – in an intricate oat and grey irregular patchwork.
A second story this season is inspired by young Stella women deconstructing their grandmothers’ classic wardrobes, styling vintage pieces in modern ways like pink and beige mouliné tweed wool tailoring.
Stella’s signature Savile Row tailoring takes a rounded banana shape on boyfriend shirts and suit trousers. The same outlook continues on sculptural outerwear: structured coats moulded with strong hourglass silhouettes.
Finally, pearl embroidery and photographic prints tell a classic jewellery story. Pearls are hand-embroidered onto black tailoring alongside dripping trompe l’oeil prints on organic silk satin pyjama sets, as well as sexy silver body chains styled under tops and tailoring.
I loved this idea of young Stella women going into their grandmothers’ classic wardrobes and styling themselves in preppy vintage pieces.
Why is our forest-friendly viscose so special?
Our ancient forest-friendly viscose is made using FSC-certified wood pulp from responsibly managed forests and is always traceable back to its supplier and forest. Forests are managed in accordance with strict standards using rigorous audits, preventing deforestation and protecting biodiversity, as well as engaging local and Indigenous communities.
According to Canopy, the fashion industry cuts down more than 300 million trees annually to create cellulose-based fibres like conventional viscose – much of which is made from pulp sourced from ancient, protected or endangered forests.
Our Stella vision is to shift away from using virgin wood pulp inputs entirely, choosing to instead use Nex-Gen and recycled wood pulp inputs to meet our viscose needs.
Why is deforestation such a big problem?
Ancient woodlands are irreplaceable. Thousands of years old, these trees provide a living, breathing carbon capture network and are home to hundreds of thousands of native communities of plants, fungi, insects and other microorganisms.
Ancient forests and woodlands are essential for mitigating climate change and the climate emergencies that we face. The United Nations FAO states [the forests] contain ‘662 billion tonnes of carbon, which is more than half of the global carbon stock in soils and vegetation.
Older trees are able to sequester more carbon, helping to maintain ecosystem resilience, protect against droughts and forest fires, as well as retain flourishing biodiversity.
The world has already lost a third of its forests – an area twice the size of the United States (OurWorldInData) – it is crucial that we do not lose any more.
Moreover, according to a WWF study in 2022, at least 1.25 billion people around the world currently rely on Mother Earth’s planets for ‘shelter, livelihoods, water, fuel and food security’. Of these, around 750 million people – approximately one fifth of the total rural population – live in forests, including 60 million Indigenous people.
The most common causes of deforestation are illegal logging and unsustainable forest management, which is why we work closely with Canopy to ensure our viscose wood pulp does not come from any ancient, endangered or protected forests. We use its Canopy Hot Button annual report to monitor our supplier’s actions closely: our focus is to ensure that they are always improving their practices and encouraging the shift from virgin pulp to Nex-Gen and recycled inputs.
With 94% of ready-to-wear styles made from responsible materials, Autumn 2023 is Stella McCartney’s most nature-positive collection to date.
