Stella McCartney.

Her birth in London on September 13, 1971 nearly killed Stella McCartney and her mother, Linda McCartney. Paul McCartney prayed she would be delivered on the wings of an angel — that phrase became the name of his band Wings. Despite her parents’ fame, McCartney describes her childhood as normal, living in a two-bedroom house while traveling the world. At 15, she assisted Christian Lacroix on his first couture collection. She attended Rye College, Bexhill College, and South Houston High School before studying fashion at Central Saint Martins, graduating in 1995. Her graduation show featured her father’s song Stella May Day and models Kate Moss, Yasmin Le Bon, and Naomi Campbell.

In 1997, after just two collections under her own name, Stella McCartney became chief designer at Parisian fashion house Chloé, succeeding Karl Lagerfeld. She resigned in 2001 to form a joint venture with the Gucci Group, launching her own label with three stores. She expanded into perfume and, in 2005, designed an affordable line for H&M, following Karl Lagerfeld’s earlier collaboration. In September 2004, she partnered with Adidas, creating the women’s sportswear line Adidas by Stella McCartney. She designed stage costumes for Madonna, including her wedding dress, and appeared as herself in films like Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie 2016 and The True Cost 2015. In 2000, she won the VH1/Vogue Designer of the Year award, presented by her father. She received the OBE in 2013 and the CBE in 2022 for services to fashion and sustainability.

On August 30, 2003, Stella McCartney married publisher Alasdhair Willis in Scotland. The couple has four children: son Miller Alasdhair James Willis born February 25, 2005, daughter Bailey Linda Olwyn Willis born December 8, 2006, son Beckett Robert Lee Willis born January 8, 2009, and daughter Reiley Dilys Stella Willis born November 23, 2010. She is the younger half-sister of Heather McCartney and Beatrice McCartney, and the older sister of photographer Mary McCartney and musician James McCartney. McCartney is a member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals PETA and includes the line Suitable for vegetarians on the soles of her shoes.

Stella McCartney built her fashion brand on ethical and sustainable practices, championing vegetarian alternatives in her designs. Her Adidas by Stella McCartney line revolutionized women’s sportswear, while her affordable H&M collection made designer fashion accessible. She received the OBE in 2013 and CBE in 2022 for her contributions to fashion and sustainability. McCartney’s influence extends to pop culture, with cameo appearances in films and collaborations with celebrities like Madonna and Taylor Swift. Her work demonstrated that high fashion can be both luxurious and environmentally responsible.