STELLA MCCARTNEY

ANDREA DELLA MATTIA

N0567112
Global Production & Sourcing
Internationl Fashion Business 2015
Word Count : 5205

01

Introduction

03

Business Strategy

07

Countries of Manufacture

21

Critical Paths

25

Conclusion

31

Image List, References,

Bibliography

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Stella McCartney launched her own
personal brand under her name and
showed her first collection in October
2001 with the help and partnership
with Kering, which is family-controlled,
listed company and is a world leader in
apparel and accessories, which develops
an ensemble of powerful brands (About
Kering, 2012). The brands product
line includes womens ready-to-wear,
Lingerie (2008), accessories, childrens
wear, eyewear, and fragrances (2003).
The brand is also partnered with Adidas
(2004) called Adidas by Stella McCartney
to feature a line of athletic wear.
Stella Mccartney is a brand that prides
themselves on their hard work towards
being a sustainable company. The
companys mission statement states their
own definition of sustainability and their
impacts. It states, We are committed to
being a responsible, honest, and modern
company. What this means to us: We
understand that it is our responsibility
to do what we can to become a more
sustainable company. We are responsible
for the resources that we use and the
impact that we have. We are always
exploring new and innovative ways to
become more sustainable (McCartney,
2015). The brand also says that although
they are more sustainable, they believe
they are just at the beginning stages
In many ways we are just beginning
our journey towards becoming more
sustainable, but we are dedicated to
continuing our work towards being able
to replace what we have taken from the
environment (McCartney, 2015).
The brands efforts are always on-going.
Starting in the year 2012, the brand
composes A Sustainability Summary

to show customers what efforts and

organizations they introduced throughout
the past year (See Appendix A). While
posted on the brands webpage, this
allows for customer to really get a feel
for the brands identity and what the
company is trying to achieve. 2014
sustainability report has yet to be
released to the public.
McCartney has been awarded numerous
amounts of awards since 1999 including
British Designer of the Year by multiple
publications (Harpers Bazaar, Elle, &
Vogue), Woman of the Year (Organic
Style), Woman of Courage Honouree
(Unforgettable Evening Event), Style Icon
(Elle),and many more. In 2014, Stella
McCartney has 23 freestanding stores
and the brand distributes to over 50
countries worldwide.

AIMS

With new sustainability initiatives and

resources the brand continuously
discovers (See Appendix A for
Sustainability Summaries), The Stella
McCartney brand is well on their way to
becoming a fully sustainable company.
The aim of this case study is to explore
in depth about the companys sourcing
strategy and specific manufacturing
requirements with a focus on the brands
Knitwear range.
It will explore two countries of origin (Italy
& Portugal) that the brand regularly
sources from and analyse the history
of their manufacturing, resources and
availability, Fairtrade and ethics and
business climate. It will also include three
critical paths of garments from their point
of order to the delivery in store which will
illustrate the steps needed to develop the
garment and the specified time frame.
Positive and negative findings will be then
identified along with new business trends
and sources of supply which may affect
the Stella McCartney brands future.

02

CHAPTER TWO
B U S I N E S S S T RA T E G Y

Supply Chain
The Stella McCartney supply chain would
follow the chart Fig 3.1. After the brand
has fully designed, sampled, placed their
order, and graded their new products,
the designs start to be mass produced.
The raw materials are being ordered
which will allow for the CMT production
to start. The next step would naturally
be the production of the full garment.
As this stage is being processed, the
finalization and delivery preparation is
being prepared for the final delivery. This
includes the final quality check, addition
of all care labels and hangtags, and
packaging. When all garments reach
the last step, they are now ready for
transportation to a warehouse for storage
or to retail shops allocated by the brand.

FIG 3.1 - (Hattingh, 2008)

Current Sourcing Strategy

Stella McCartney sources from a number
of different countries including Italy (Silk,
Wool, Denim, Shoes, Bags, Cashmere),
Portugal (Cotton), Argentina (Wool),
Kenya (Bags), China (Olympic Clothing),
Hungary (Olympic Clothing), Turkey
(Olympic Clothing), and Spain (Shoes).
Because the brand has a strict policies
to where they produce and source their
products (As shown throughout their
website. See Appendix B), there are rules
and regulations that the factories in these
countries that work with McCartney must
follow. This allows the brand to have
control over their sourcing strategy (I.E the
brand can refuse to use a certain factory
or facility that does not abide by these
rules and regulations).

process. McCartney says they are very

careful who they work with to produce
their wool. All wool suppliers are to show
and prove full documentation that the
treatment of animals has always been
human and in good nature. Some of the
wool that is used to produce the brands
knitwear range comes from McCartneys
own sustainable farms.

Ethical production of products are of

main concern when the brand choses
their factories. Being sustainable and
ethical is what makes this brand so
respectable. As seen previously, the
company is constantly updating the
Sustainability Statements to include
what they have introduced. McCartney
says, We have always been committed
to ethical production and we recently
joined the Ethical Trading Initiative.
We are also working with the National
Resources Defence Council on its Clean
by Design program. We are the first luxury
brand to team up with them and we
are working with them to improve the
environmental impact of our textile mills
(McCartney, 2015).
In terms of the wool that is used in the
clothing, McCartney makes sure that no
sheep is harmed or has been treated
in inhuman ways during the mulesing

04

B U S I N E S S S T RA T E G Y

Fair Trade + Sustainability + Ethics

Product Technology + Innovation

The mind behind the designs, Stella

McCartney, has always had sustainability
and fair trade as her number one priority
and is imbedded in every garment that
is produced. Careful consideration is
taken of factories and workers, materials,
and packaging. Although the brand
does everything in its power to make
sustainable and ethical products, they
even try to help customers with being
sustainable and ethical at home after
purchasing. McCartney has teamed up
with CleverCare to make this happen.
Inside every Stella McCartney garment
is a CleverCare symbol which reminds
customers to be sustainable. This helps
the brand extend their prioritys to not
only what they can do while producing
the garment, but also telling the
consumers what they can do to help as
well. By the brand adding this initiative, it
adds perception to the customers about
the brands beliefs and sustainable/ethical
views.

Because the brand is dedicated to being

sustainable and ethical, innovations for
new materials and products are always
constant. The Stella McCartney website
has a page named Meet Our Star Eco
Products and outlines the product
innovations that are most impactful (See
Appendix C).
With every new product that McCartney
designs, she asks How can we do this in
a more sustainable and responsible and
environmental way (McCartney, 2015).
As seen in Appendix C, the brand has
been an innovator in product technology
and new sustainable innovations. This
shows customers that not only is the
brand telling them what their sustainable
and ethical views are, they are proving it
to them with the amount of initiatives and
new products that the brand has been
generating.

06

CHAPTER THREE
COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

History
Italys history with textile production started in the early 1300s. Approximately 25,000
people were employed by the wool textile industry in 1340 (Renaissance, 2009). In the
history of the West European economy, wool-based textiles constituted the single most
important manufactured commodity to enter both regional and international trade. For
this reason, such textiles proved to be vitally important for Italian economic development
and for Italys economic pre-eminence during many of these centuries (Munro, 2013).
Its to say that Italy has always been involved in the textile and production industry as
part of their history and culture, but according to Nicholas Owen, The Italian textiles and
clothing industry grew in real terms through the 1990s (Owen, 2003). Fig 4.1 shows the
increasing in Italys textiles industry compared to other European countries.

FIG 4.1 - (Italys Exports, 2015)

Specializations

Resources & Avalibility

In Italy, Capri is where Knitwear is

specialized. They specialize in design,
the choice of materials, logistics, quality
control, stock-keeping and trade
management (ItalTrade, n.d). Usually,
the factory will subcontract the actual
production of the garment.

Italys natural resources include coal,

mercury, zinc, potash, marble, barite,
asbestos, pumice, fluorspar, feldspar,
pyrite (sulphur), natural gas and crude oil
reserves, fish, and arable land (Economy
Watch, 2013).

The production stage has the most

specializations including stain removal,
sewing, ironing, checking and the final
packaging.

Fairtrade & Ethics

According to a survey done in October
of 2011 which surveyed 17,000 customers
in 24 different countries, 89% of Italian
consumers say express the highest
support for third-party certification
when it comes to Fairtrade and ethical
products (Globescan, 2011).

08

COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

Business Climate
According to the 2011 Index of
Economic Freedom (The Heritage
Foundation and The Wall Street Journal),
Italy is only the 87th freest economy in the
world. Italian economy remains burdened
by political interference, bureaucracy,
corruption, high levels of taxation, a rigid
labour market, an ineffective judicial
system, a complex regulatory framework
and the high cost of conducting
business (La Gazzetta Italiana, n.d).
This could be a problem when Stella
McCartney produces the majority of her
knitwear range with Italy. Italys economy
is never stable and this could potentially
cause businesses and factories to shut
down.
Taxes Fig 4.2 shows a list for a small
medium sized business in Italy and their
taxation rates in 2013. The U.S Department
of States says, Tax revenues for the first
11 months of 2012 were up 13.8 billion,
or 3.8 percent, compared to the same
period a year earlier, largely due the new
real estate tax (U.S Department of State,
2013). This could pose as a threat to the
McCartney brand because the levels of
taxation are on the rise which may allow
for factories working with the brand to
raise their prices.

Availability A large portion of Italys

businesses are between the small and
medium sized firms. The U.S Department
of State states, Italy is fully diversified
and dominated by small and mediumsized firms (SMEs), which comprise 99.9
percent of the number of businesses
(U.S Department of State, 2013). This is
good for the McCartney brand because
the factories could potentially be more
willing to follow her ethical standards if
they know the company will use their
production services again.
Although there are many businesses
in Italy, According to Global Outlook,
Italys population has stopped dreaming
of entrepreneurship. On the contrary,
local Italian business owners believe
that slowing down the expansion of
new businesses could potentially hurt
the countrys GDP and exports (How
Challenging is Italys Business Climate,
2013). The McCartney brand could
see this as a potential downfall. If
more and more Italians are slowing
down expansions and the economy is
burdened, who will eventually be able to
do the production of Stellas products?

FIG 4.2 - (Business Affairs, 2013)

Import/Export Duties
The EU is a customs union that provides
for free trade among its 28 member
states--Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
and The United Kingdom (International
Trade Administration, 2015). This allows
Italy and the UK to trade without taxes,
tariffs, or duties.

10

COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

Infrastructure & Transport Methods

Italy has a modern infrastructure although
it does not execute as well as other
Western European countries that are
similar to size. The country is connected
through national roads, expressways,
trains, airports, and seaports. The
infrastructure is continuously being
improved and rebuilt. The Northern
regions have intricate infrastructure
whereas the southern is widely poor.
Roads Provides a highly developed
and efficient network of interconnected
highways and lesser roads, particularly in
northern regions. The main routes at the
hub of the road system are Turin-MilanVenice-Trieste, Milan-Bologna-FlorenceRome, Milan-Genoa, and Rome-Naples
(Nations Encyclopaedia, 2015).
Expressways Italys expressways is
approximately 6,460 km which are
located more in the northern and central
districts. Although is it easy for drivers to
link to different parts of Europe through
these expressways, the extensive traffic
has become an on-going critical issue.
Trains/Rails The countrys rail system
is also highly developed and traverses a
distance of 19,394 kilometers (Nations
Encyclopaedia, 2015). Although the trains

are well adored by Italians, the owner

company, Ferrovie dello Stato, is in the
midst of improving the rail system with
high speed trains.
Airports There are over 130 airports in
the country of Italy. The most prevalent
airports are in Rome, Venice, Milan, and
Turin.
Seaports Italys seaports fleet consists
of over 2000 ships which most can carry
over 100 tons. There are ports in Trieste,
Genoa, Naples, Taranto, Augusta, Gioia
Tauro, and Livorno.
With Italy having multiple types of
transport methods, The Stella McCartney
brand has a selection of choices on
their transportation of goods. This
could be helpful if the company needs
express shipping on a repeat order, if
their production time was slowed down
and needed their inventory as soon as
possible, excreta.

4.3

12
FIG 4.3 - (Italys Pollution, 2015)

COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

History
Portugals textile industry has been a key
sector for exports and for employability.
12% of the countrys exports are from
the textile and clothing industry which
employ over 180,000 workers. In 2008
when Portugal started their financial crisis,
the industry fell by 6.5% but thankfully
the Government took charge to boost
this sector. The federal government of
Portugal not only provided financial aid
to the local investors but also attracted
foreign investments in the sector. The
government announced a massive
financial package of 850 million Euros
to stimulate the domestic textile and
clothing industry and encourage exports
of textile products. The government has
also provided financial incentives to
foreign companies for modernization of
the textile units in the country. Besides,
the government also provides essential
help to make credit available to foreign
players investing in the textile sector
(Invest In EU, 2013).

Specializations

Resources and Availability

Portugals specializations include knitted

or crocheted clothing and accessories. In
2012, 39% of Portugals totally T&C exports
where products in these specializations
(ATP, 2013).

Portugals natural resources include iron

ore, copper, zinc, tin, tungsten, silver,
gold, uranium, marble, clay, gypsum, and
salt (Fact Monster, 2014).

Knitwear exports account for some 50%

of the total exports of textile and clothing
products, highlighting the leading role the
subsector plays in the Portuguese textile
and clothing industry (PortugalOffer,
2003).

Fairtrade & Ethics

Because of the rapid growth and
demand of Fairtrade and ethical
products, in 2013 Portugal was added
to the mandate of Fairtrade Spain. They
have now been renamed Fairtade
Iberica. The increasing demand and
interest in Fairtrade products in Portugal
prompted Fairtrade Spain to investigate
forming Fairtrade Ibrica. Even during
difficult economic times, consumers
in both countries are increasingly
interested in the origin of the products
they buy, asking for responsible and
ethical products (WFTO, 2013). WFTO
is now partnered with Equao and
Cooperativa de Comrcio Justo in
Portugal.

14

COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

Business Climate
According to Making Life Easy for
Citizens and Businesses in Portugal
by OECD (Organization for Economic
Co-Operation and Development),
Portugal has a coherent strategy inked
closely to strengthening the conditions
for economic development and job
creation (OECD, 2008). OECD believes
there are 4 drivers for simplification of
this strategy, one which is creation of
a better business climate. Because
Portugal ranks low on several economic
competitiveness factors, the country
decided to improve their business climate
to improve companies already in the
country, but also new ones. This is an
advantage to the Stella McCartney
brand because just as the company is
trying to be more ethical with everything
that they do, Portugal as a country is
trying to do the same.
Taxes Fig 4.4 shows a list for a small
medium sized business in Portugal and
their taxation rates in 2013. In 2014,

Portugal made changed their Corporate

Income Tax Law from 25% to 23%. They
have also changed their State Surcharge
from 5% to 7% in 2014.
Availability Because of Portugals
recession that has lasted for almost 40
years, small to medium sized business are
being sold or shut down due to the lack
of spending. In the wake of the countrys
worst recession for almost 40 years, tens
of thousands of small businesses have
gone to the wall, victims of a collapse
in demand as record unemployment
climbs towards 19 per cent and tough
austerity measures, including a 77 per
cent increase in value added tax for
restaurants, leave families struggling to
get by or afraid to spend (Wise, 2013).
This is a downfall for the Stella McCartney
brand in the same way it was with Italy.
If the factories that the brand works with
shut down or even sold off, what will
happen to the brands knitwear products
that are typically being produced?

FIG 4.4 - (Paying Taxes In Portugal, 2015)

Import/Export Duties
The EU is a customs union that provides
for free trade among its 28 member
states--Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus,
Czech Republic, Croatia, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The
Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania,
Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden,
and The United Kingdom (International
Trade Administration, 2015). This allows
Portugal and the UK to trade without
taxes, tariffs, or duties.

16

COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN

Infrastructure & Transport Methods

Portugal is said to have a well
developed infrastructure due to them
receiving US $24 Billion by European
Regional Development Fund between
the years of 1987 1998 (Nations
Encyclopaedia, 2015). These funds
helped the country improve their already
existing infrastructure but also by allowing
them to develop a modern highway
system. Portugal is now connected by
national roads, expressways, railways,
airports, and sea ports.
National Roads Portugal, after their
generous funding, now has up to 59,110
km of paved national roads.
Expressways Portugal now has
approximately 797 km of expressways
throughout their county. This allows locals
and transportation companies easier
transference after their renovations.
Railways 2,850 km of railroads now exist
within Portugal. Their railroads consist of
passenger trains and also freight trains.
Airports The country of Portugal now
was an astonishing 40 different airports
located all over the country. They always
have their own national airline called TAP.

Sea Ports Portugal a number of different

sea ports in placed such as Aveiro,
Funchal, Horta , Leixoes, Lisbon, Porto,
Ponta Delgada, Praia da Vitoria, Setubal,
and Viana do Castelo.
In the same aspect as Italy, there
are multiple different methods of
transportation in Portugal that could help
the brand with the transference of goods.

18

After an extensive look into Italys

background, It is clear why the Stella
McCartney band has chosen to work
primarily with Italy for their knitwear
manufacturing. Having a wool industry
that dates back to the 1300s and which
boosted in the 1990s, this sector has
been an extensive part of Italys history
and culture. Their knitwear specilizations
in Capri makes it a perfect country for the
brands knitwear ranges.
Italys Fairtrade and ethics also makes
the country a great partner for the
McCartney brand. As stated above, 89%
of Italian customers say they extensive
support products with Fairtrade and
ethical stamps of approval. This shows
how Italy is becoming a major player in
ethical fashion.
Due to the E.U customs union, free trade
between the United kingdom and Italy

allows for lowered costs for the brand.

Easy access between the two countries
is also an advantage due to Italys
infrastructure and transport methods as
they have a range of ways to transport
the goods from country to country.
Collectively, these aspects of Italy make
a partnership between the band and the
country a rational choice.

Partaking in the research of Portugal

in a more broad sense, It allows for a
better understanding as to why Stella
McCartney has chosen this country
as another partner for their knitwear
manufacturing. Having the clothing
and textile industry as a major export
and having the Government boost the
industry during an economic crisis, it
shows that the country of Portugal has a
large appreciation to this sector.

Kingdom which allows for the lower cost

as well. Since Portugals infrastructure has
now been updated and renewed, there
is choices of methods of transportation
from Portugal to the United Kingdom.
Easier access allows for a shorter lead
time which is beneficial for the Stella
McCartney brand.
Having all these aspects that will benefit
the Stella McCartney brand, it retains to
be a good partner.

With a rapid growth and demand for

Fairtrade and ethical products by their
population, and having teamed up with
Fairtrade Spain to become Fairtade
Iberica, proves that the country has the
same values as the Stella McCartney
band.
Just as Italy does, the E.U customs union
also benefits Portugal with free trade
between Portugal and the United

20

CHAPTER FOUR
CRITICAL PATHS

The following are three critical paths that

will follow three different Stella McCartney
knitwear products from their point of
order to the companies warehouse.
1.

Crew Neck Jumper

2.

Asymmetric Jumper

3.

Tulip Dress

ONE
Style : Crew Neck Jumper
Colour : Ultra Marine
Fit : True to size/Regular Fit
Country of Origin : Italy

Purchase Order to
Manufacturer
(Week 0)
Manufacturer Orders Fabric
(Week 1)

Sealing Samples
(Week 0-9)

Fabric Supplier Orders Yarn

(Week 2)
Spin Yarn
(Week 3-4)
Deliver Yarn to Designated Mill
(Week 5)
Weave Fabric
(Week 6-7)
Dye and Finish Fabric
(Week 8-9)
Fabric Delivery
(Week 10)

Quality Control of Bulk

Materials
(Week 9-11)

Consolidate Billing of Materials

(Week 11)
Cut & Stich
(Week 12-14)
Shipping
(Weeks 15-16)

Production Seals
(Week 12)
Final Inspection
(Week 14)

Clear Customs
(Week 16)
Recieve in S.M Warehouse
(Week 17)

Warehouse Audit
(Week 17)

22

TWO
Style : Asymmetric Jumper
Colour : Bubble Gum
Fit : True to size/Regular Fit
Country of Origin : Italy

Purchase Order to
Manufacturer
(Week 0)
Manufacturer Orders Fabric
(Week 1)

Sealing Samples
(Week 0-9)

Fabric Supplier Orders Yarn

(Week 2)
Spin Yarn
(Week 3-4)
Deliver Yarn to Designated Mill
(Week 5)
Weave Fabric
(Week 6-7)
Dye and Finish Fabric
(Week 8-9)
Fabric Delivery
(Week 10)

Quality Control of Bulk

Materials
(Week 9-11)

Consolidate Billing of Materials

(Week 11)
Cut & Stich
(Week 12-14)
Shipping
(Weeks 15-16)

Production Seals
(Week 12)
Final Inspection
(Week 14)

Clear Customs
(Week 17)
Recieve in S.M Warehouse
(Week 18)

Warehouse Audit
(Week 18)

THREE
Style : Tulip Jumper
Colour : Black
Fit : True to size/Regular Fit
Country of Origin : Portugal

Purchase Order to
Manufacturer
(Week 0)
Manufacturer Orders Fabric
(Week 1)

Sealing Samples
(Week 0-9)

Fabric Supplier Orders Yarn

(Week 2)
Spin Yarn
(Week 3-4)
Deliver Yarn to Designated Mill
(Week 5)
Weave Fabric
(Week 6-7)
Dye and Finish Fabric
(Week 8-9)
Fabric Delivery
(Week 10)

Quality Control of Bulk

Materials
(Week 9-11)

Consolidate Billing of Materials

(Week 11)
Cut & Stich + Applique
(Week 12-14)
Shipping
(Weeks 15-16)

Production Seals
(Week 12)
Final Inspection
(Week 14)

Clear Customs
(Week 17)
Recieve in S.M Warehouse
(Week 18)

Warehouse Audit
(Week 18)

24

CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION

Positives

After researching further into the Stella

McCartney brand and how the company
sources and produces products based
on their sustainable and ethic brand
identity, there are many positive as well
as many negative aspects. Outlining
these positives and negatives will further
explore the company and will allow for
recommendations on how to expand the
company and further themselves in the
sustainable and ethical path they are
venturing on.

Sustainability Summaries The

sustainability summaries that the
company produces each year really
proves to their consumers that the
brand is doing their best to follow their
sustainably and ethical standards. Unlike
many other brands, McCartney is trying
to be more transparent in her business. By
showing consumers what the brand plans
to do and then updating them when
they have completed the tasks really
emphasises to consumers that the brand
is realistic in their plans and tries their best
to make their company more and more
ethical and sustainable.

Wool Usage As already stated, Stella

McCartney uses wool from her own farms
to produce her knitwear garments. The
brand has also team up with OVIS XXI
which allows them to only use sustainable
and cruelty free wool. This wool has
been specially produced for new and
innovative sustainability standards. The
sheep that produce the sustainable wool
is from Patagonia in Argentina. This is a
positive for the McCartney brand as this
further proves to all consumers that the
brand is trying to be more transparent
and that their being true to their brand
identity. This also gives consumers a
motive to purchase the products knowing
that the wool is of high sustainability and
is ethically sourced from their initiative
with OVIS XXI.
Technology & Innovation As seen
in Appendix C, the brand has a very
high priority to be innovative and
technologically savvy when it comes to
producing new products. The company
teams up with multiple different countries
and initiatives to provide more ethical
fashions to their consumers. These
products are not only being ethically
made, but the company has devised
some of their products to be recyclable
and decomposable when the consumer
is through with using the product. These
added positives allow for the brand to
know that theyve made a difference
when they have produced the product,
but also when the product gets to the
end stage of its lifecycle.
Italy Using Italy as one of the companys
main countries of origin for knitwear is
beneficial knowing that they have a
long history and specialization in this
sector. The country also has over 80% of
consumers who show praise to brands
that are sustainable and ethical in all

their practices. Import and export duties

are an added bonus for the brand
due to the customs union that provides
free trade with the United Kingdom.
Italys infrastructure and transportation
methods are vast and are currently and
continuously being updated which allows
for the brand to choose their method of
transportation that suits their needs.
Portugal Using Portugal as another
country of origin for the brands knitwear is
also beneficial knowing that the knitwear
industry is key to the country and that
the Government spends money trying to
keep this sector of the workforce alive
even through tough times such as their
recession. Even in economic hardships,
the countrys consumers are always
looking for Fairtrade and ethical products.
This is a positive for the McCartney brand.
Working with countries that share the
same views as brand can make your
brand identity stronger. Portugal also
has a specialization in knitwear which
accumulated to 50% of their exports
in 2014. Portugal is also included in the
free trade EU customs which means
trading between Portugal and the
United Kingdom is free. The countries
infrastructure, just like Italy, has recently
been updated which allows the brand
to have their choice of transportation as
well.

26

CONCLUSION

Negatives
Technology & Innovation Although
Stella McCartney has made plenty of
innovations in her collections, she has
yet to provide any alternatives to her
knitwear sector. What happens to the
clothing after the consumer is done with
it? Is it sent to landfill? Is there a more
sustainable way that the brand can be
involved with?
Italy Although Italy does have positive
aspects when working with the brand,
there are also some negatives. Italy`s
economy has been burdened in recent
years. With the economy doing poorly
and the taxation rates inflating (as
previously discussed), this could cause
factories to either charge a higher price
which would hurt the Stella McCartney
brand or potentially even close their
business doors which would ever further
hurt Stella McCartney as Italy is her
country of choice for production for her
knitwear range.
Portugal While Italy is McCartneys
country of choice, a portion of the

knitwear is still produced in Portugal

and there are negative aspects with
this country as well. Portugal has been
in a recession for almost 40 years. The
Government in the past has spent money
keeping knitwear factories in business
because of their high export rates,
but if the recession continues and the
Government can no long afford to help
these factories, Stella McCartney could
potentially lose profits.
Infrastructure & Transportation Having
Italys and Portugals newly updated
infrastructure and transportation methods
as a positive for the Stella McCartney
brand, it could also be seen as a
negative. Although having multiple ways
of transportation to suit the needs of the
brand, none of the methods are very
environmentally friendly. As the brand
grows more and more sustainable,
the company should take a look into
this issue and find ways that allow for
transportation to happen, but that would
less affect their ecological footprint.

Recommandations
Technology & Innovation Since
the brand has not been able to be
innovative with their knitwear range, this
recommendation is for the company
to start using flax and hemp as fibers.
Both of these fibers are considered Bast
fibers which are soft, fine, flexible, can
grow in different climate zones, and they
recycle the earths carbon dioxide (The
Textile Institute, 2005). These fibers are also
biodegrable which allows for the clothing
to be broken down in compost rather
than being transported to a landfill site.

(Conserve Energy Future, 2015). Biodiesel

is an alternative to traditional gas will
allow for this percentage to decrease. A
recommendation to the Stella McCartney
brand would be to use fright vehicles that
switched to biodiesel. Although this is not
a huge change for the brand, this could
help towards their overall goal of being a
more sustainable company.

Flax: Is the oldest fiber in the world
and in grown in countries such as China,
Egypt, and France. This fiber is typically
used for woven knitted fabrics and can
be blended with other materials such as
wool and cotton.

Hemp: Hemp is grown in countries
such as China, Europe, and North
America. There are 3 types of hemp that
can be used but southern hemp is of
highest quality and has a very low yield
of seeds. Hemp can also be blended with
other materials such as cotton or wool.
Infrastructure & Transportation The
transportation sector is hard when it
comes to finding more sustainable and
environmentally friendly alternatives. 9%
of the worlds greenhouse gas emission
comes from service and freight vehicles

28

CONCLUSION

The Stella McCartney brand is always

committed to being sustainable and
ethical in every way they can. The
company is constantly updating and
changing their ways to better suit their
brand identity. Although the company is
not perfect, they are well on their way to
reaching their goal. There are positives
and negatives within their business, but
they are very active in changing and
becoming more sustainable. As designer
Stella McCartney says,

Everyone can do
simple things to
make a difference,
and every little bit
really does count
(Stella McCartney, 2015).

30

IMAGE LIST
CITATIONS

Cover Photo - Williams, H. (2014). Stella McCartney collaborates with the Internets
favourite new artist. Available: http://www.buro247.com/me/culture/news/stellamccartney-petra-cortright.html. Last accessed April 26 2015.
Fig 1.1 - FashionMention. (2014). adidas by Stella McCartney Fall Winter 2014 Collection.
Available: http://www.fashionmention.com/adidas-stella-mccartney-fall-winter-2014collection/. Last accessed April 26 2015.
Fig 1.2 - Phelps, N. (2015). Stella McCartney Pre-Fall. Available: http://www.style.com/
fashion-shows/pre-fall-2015/stella-mccartney. Last accessed April 26 2015.
Chapter 1
Fig 2.1 - Sunray Studio. (2014). Stella McCartney. Available: https://www.pinterest.com/
pin/246009198370616397/. Last accessed April 26 2015.
Chapter 2
Fig 3.1 - Hattingh, A. (2008). From Design Ramp to Store. Available: http://www.ifashion.
co.za/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=888&Itemid=113. Last accessed
April 26 2015.
Fig 3.2 McCartney, S. (2012). Winter 2012 Inspiration. Available: https://www.pinterest.
com/pin/279152876873962334/. Last accessed April 26 2015.
Chapter 3
Fig 4.1 - Anon. (2015). Italys Exports. Available: http://www.tradingeconomics.com/italy/
exports. Last accessed April 26 2015.
Fig 4.2 - BUREAU OF ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS AFFAIRS. (2013). 2013 Investment Climate
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accessed April 26 2015.
Fig 4.3 - Anon. (2015). Pollution in Italy. Available: http://www.numbeo.com/pollution/
country_result.jsp?country=Italy. Last accessed March 10th.
Fig 4.4 Anon. (2015). Paying Taxes In Portugal. Available: http://www.doingbusiness.org/
data/exploreeconomies/portugal/paying-taxes. Last accessed April 26 2015.
.

32

Fig 4.5 Anon. (2015). Taste of Italy. Available: http://www.northcrestclub.com/wp/socialevents/taste-of-italy/. Last accessed April 26 2015.
Fig 4.6 - Anon. (n.d). Portugal Flag. Available: http://imagesdetails.com/i/portugal-flag/5.
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Chapter 4
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pin/279152876878813073/. Last accessed April 26 2015.
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Fig 6.2 - McCartney, S. (2013). Spring Florals. Available: https://www.pinterest.com/
pin/279152876874721832/. Last accessed April 26 2015.
Fig 6.3 - Miel, M. (2014). Pure Mode. Available: https://www.pinterest.com/
pin/391179917603975000/. Last accessed April 26 2015.

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APPENDIX
A

40

Eco Friendly Eyewear These products are made from raw material and castor-oil seeds
and added citric acid. 50% of these products are designed from renewable and natural
resources.
Biodegradable Soles These soles have been used since McCartneys Autumn 2010
collection. They are made from APINAT which is a bioplastic. When placed in mature
compost, they will degrade with time.
Faux Leather - Introduced in Autumn 2013, This new faux leather is coated with 50%
vegetable oil allows less petroleum use in these products. It is also a renewable natural
resource.
Lingerie All hardware in these products are made from recyclable materials. Gussets are
made from organic cotton. Its a wearable everyday range, incorporating cutting-edge
technology to create one of the thinnest, lightest and most invisible collections in the
world (McCartney, 2015).
Noemi Tote Produced in Kenya with the help from the International Trade Centers
Ethical Fashion Program (ITC), This tote helps provide work to support sustainable
livelihoods in disadvantaged communities in Africa (McCartney, 2015).
Adidas By Stella McCartney The materials must come from a sustainable source,
be produced without dangerous chemicals, and be manufactured under the highest
workplace standards with waste and energy management systems. All Adidas by Stella
McCartney products are PVC free (McCartney, 2015).

42