Modern fake fur looks so much like real fur that the moment it leaves the atelier, no one can tell it's not the real thing. And I've struggled with that.
— Stella McCartney
I love a pocket. I'm about helping women look as good as possible on the least amount of effort. I want versatility and comfort. Clothes that can go from the office to anywhere. We're always trying on samples at work. If none of us would wear it, chances are no one else will.
It's one of my biggest internal struggles - the whole schooling system in London and the fact that my kids are going to a posh school. It freaks me out.
For me, singing is the most natural thing in the world. I've grown up with it and I know I've got that gift.
I think the moment that I'm very proud of is building a business without using animals. And, hopefully, changing people's perception of how you can do luxury fashion.
I love that you can have the language between the two worlds of technology and fashion, because I don't think that many designers get to do that.
I didn't want to be thirtysomething and not know what I was going to do. I was quite afraid of that, there were quite a lot of aimless kids around, in that 'other' side of my life, who didn't really know what to do because they always had a bank balance to fall back on and they were quite lost.
We always had our own vegetables growing up and now I'm doing it with my kids at our house in the country.
We try to make earth-friendly decisions whenever we can, as it's part of our brand DNA.
Sometimes I wish I were less sensible.
When you find the person that you settle down with, I guess you mellow. They are taming you, aren't they? Or you're taming them.
There's no excuse for fur in this day and age.
The beliefs I was raised with - to respect animals and to be aware of nature, to understand that we share this planet with other creatures - have had a huge impact on me.
It's immoral that people make money out of writing crap, but I try not to obsess about it. I don't want to spend my life being angry.
Obviously, we live in a society where ageing is feared. But, to me, the alternative to getting old isn't that great. I've got friends much older than me and much younger, and I love that. It means you get to teach as well as learn.
I never want to promote an ad that makes women feel bad about themselves, because when I was young, I never felt rich enough or fashionable enough or good enough. I felt talked down to by luxury fashion labels. There was a disconnect. They made me feel we weren't right for each other.
At times I make music, but in private.
I confess to being a frustrated musician.
I feel like a different person since my mum passed away, like I'm driving a ship with my husband alongside me and we're leading these four children into unknown waters.
More than anything I want to be fit so I don't get out of breath when I play football with the kids.
You feel like everyone hates you if you've got a good life, now I feel maybe it's allowed because I've had my share of sadness.
I don't plan massively in advance.
Depending on the season, between 20 and 30 percent of my collections contain some sort of eco or sustainable element, whether it's a beautiful organic fabric or a natural dye. And obviously I don't use animal skins or fur of any kind.
I'm incredibly sad that my mother's not here to see my kids and that my kids don't get to know her. And she didn't meet my husband. That's one of the hardest things. I don't even know how to put that into words.
You have to be hopeful that people will be more educated in how they buy things, and hopefully more luxury brands will start to think that way on a longer-term basis.
I am a fashion designer. I'm not an environmentalist. When I get up in the morning, number one I'm a mother and a wife, and number two I design clothes. So the main thing I need to do is create, hopefully, exquisitely beautiful, desirable objects for my customer.
I don't know, maybe I'm overly paranoid that they're going to be spoiled, but I want to keep them going as kids for as long as I can. I want to keep them innocent and free.
I literally have meetings at eight o'clock in the morning, and I finish at nine o'clock at night. It sounds pathetic, but I don't even have time to go shopping.
It's important for us as a family to go and sit in the woods sometimes.
It's not realistic to live in the country at this stage. I've got a business in London. I beat myself up about it all the time.
If people stop liking my clothes, I'll make a record.
If you try to create something people enjoy, and it happens to be made in a responsible way, then that's when you can really strike an incredible balance.
Losing my mum. That was a punch-me moment.
I ride my bike, I work out, I do a bit of, er, dancey things.
I used to get embarrassed about the fact I liked fashion. I still get a bit cringy.
I personally love sportswear, and love using it in high fashion.
Everyone can do simple things to make a difference, and every little bit really does count.
I think deep down I'm spiritual, but there's nothing I practice.
My biggest surprises in my everyday job have to do with the challenges of trying to be slightly more responsible as a brand.
I was brought up to understand that we are all here on planet earth together.
People think I'm strong, but actually I wanted to crawl away. I thought, I'm going to live in the country with my horse and I'll get a nine-to-five; I don't need this.
I can honestly say this industry hasn't made me neurotic about my looks, except maybe my weight. I hope my clothes kind of reflect that. They're meant to make you feel good.
