Can Stella McCartney really change fast fashion from within? Hmm...

Hey there, what happens when a luxury designer, who’s widely regarded as one of the most sustainable, decides to collaborate with a fast fashion giant? 

That was the question on JD’s mind while squinting from a booth at the Fashion Awards, where H&M teased its new collection in collaboration with Stella McCartney. Yes, that Stella McCartney.

So, in this week’s briefing, we explore why these high-low collaborations feel tired. And we try to make sense of McCartney’s claims that she’s somehow achieving change by “infiltrating from within”.

Thanks for reading! Find the full briefing below.

JD and Amy

This year’s Fashion Awards, hosted in London’s Royal Albert Hall, kicked off with what struck some fashion journalists in the audience as a joke about the climate crisis. “I’m here today to report an unprecedented heatwave across the continent — of hot British talent,” actor Celia Imrie said in a video celebrating the footprint of the UK’s influential designers. Imrie delivered her wry lines brilliantly, though the irony seemed to be lost on whoever wrote the script. 

Maybe that passes as “edgy” in a year when the world’s largest brands have rolled back on sustainability commitments and embraced science-denying, far-right politicians? Unsurprisingly, then, shortly after the punchlines about rising temperatures, Anna Wintour appeared on stage to present the Special Recognition Prize to billionaire nepobaby Delphine Arnault, an heir to the LVMH fortune and CEO of Christian Dior. Arnault’s other headline-grabbing event appearance this year was her controversial attendance at Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in January. 

One of the only messages related to “sustainability” that night came on the red-carpet with the arrival of Anitta, Amelia Gray, Emily Ratajkowski and Alton Mason… all wearing H&M. It was the official preview of the fast fashion giant’s collaboration with one such “hot British talent”, Stella McCartney. It marked the 20-year anniversary of McCartney's original 2005 H&M collaboration — and the official news release was eager to introduce her as a “sustainability pioneer.”

Both parties frame this reunion as evidence of progress, but it’s just the latest in a high-low brand collaboration playbook that’s feeling trite. Even the claims are classically vague. H&M promises pieces made from “certified, responsible materials — many of which are recycled.” And press coverage has so far been glowing and uncritical. (Vogue Scandinavia reported, for instance, that even the rhinestones would be recycled!) But no outlet has asked: many means what, exactly? The more significant announcement is the so-called “Insights Board,” described as a platform for “voices from across fashion to create a space for meaningful discussion.” It’s a lot of talk without any acknowledgement of H&M’s power to actually act on all that discussion. 

It appears the fast fashion giant is once again borrowing McCartney’s sustainability credibility while changing little about how it makes an estimated three billion garments a year.

Among her fans, McCartney’s brand is perceived a bit like the Patagonia of luxury. Nodding to this reputation, H&M’s Ann-Sofie Johansson praises “Stella’s moral compass and tireless commitment to sustainable practices.”

So it’s telling that McCartney’s statement is subtly defensive.