Ethics are a set of principles that guide the individual through life by determining what is right and what is wrong, based on their own of values and morals. It is a set of principles that aid in the governing of our behavior and choices.

This branch of philosophy is used in the media, politics (especially during and after the 2016 election), business and entertainment, and probably one of the most unique industries, the fashion industry.

Everyday, fashion designers create beautiful clothing, handbags and accessories that not only appeal to the eye of the consumer, but represent who they are both as an artist and as a person. Since their collections are a reflection of who they are, designers must bring their own set of ethics into their work, and one of the most ethical fashion designers in the industry right now is none other than the one and only, Stella McCartney.

Being the daughter of rock legend Paul McCartney and talented photographer Linda Eastman, McCartney grew up around art and we can see that she inherited her parents talent through her fashion brand. Stella launched her brand in October 2001 and has gained recognition and success over the past decade.

In September 2018, McCartney and her business partner since 2004, adidas, teamed up to create a pair of vegan Stan Smith sneakers, meaning that these special edition shoes are made out of vegan leather. This edition of Stan Smiths are made with no leather for this reason: Stella McCartney does not use leather or fur in her designs, and she is a vegetarian as well as an animal right’s activist.

Growing up as a vegetarian, McCartney developed her own voice when it came to the cruel and inhumane treatment of animals everywhere. McCartney is a strong believer of animal rights and has been involved with the movement by maintaining a plant-based diet, and using vegan materials for the shoes and handbags in her collection. She has also launched a not-for-profit campaign with her father and her older sister, Mary McCartney, called “Meat Free Monday.”  

McCartney doesn’t just use faux fur and vegan leather for her line for reasons regarding animal rights, but to save our planet. According to Refinery29, McCartney wrote on her website how our dependence on meat impacts the environment in a negative way.

“In recent years, studies by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and NGOs such as PETA have discovered that the environmental impact caused by our reliance on meat and its by-products is not sustainable,” McCartney said.

Now some of you are probably wondering, how or why using vegan materials makes McCartney so ethical? The answer is simple. By not using fur or leather, McCartney is sticking to her beliefs, and refuses to harm any animal no matter how challenging it is to not use real leather or fur, or how it is going to effect her brand financially.

The whole point of ethics is to do what is morally right and stay away from what is wrong. McCartney is the most ethical fashion designer in the industry because every time she debuts a brand new collection made with vegan materials, she is doing the right thing, which makes her considered not only the most ethical designer in the industry but the most respected as well.

To learn more about McCartney, shop her collection and discover her brand new Stan Smiths along with her famous “Falabella” bag, visit https://www.stellamccartney.com/us.