The King appoints Stella McCartney as Ambassador of the Sustainable Markets Initiative
King Charles, a long-standing supporter and advocate for sustainable fashion, attended London Fashion Week today and announced the appointment of trailblazing British designer Stella McCartney as Ambassador of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI).
SMI was founded by King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, in 2020 to support the transition to a sustainable future; its task force is led by former YOOX Net-A-Porter CEO Federico Marchetti.
While visiting an installation at London Fashion Week celebrating sustainable British innovation, which has been curated by Stella McCartney, the King presented the designer with a sustainably sourced Mongolian cashmere scarf made by Erdos, embroidered with the Terra Carta seal.
The installation, which is hosted by the British Fashion Council, brings together pioneering material innovators including FEVVERS, Sequinova, Radiant Matter and YATAY. Each represents a new generation of solutions - from plant-based alternatives to feathers and mycelium-based leather alternatives to biobased and plastic-free sequins.
McCartney is known for pioneering the use of sustainable materials in her collections and refuses to use materials derived from animals such as fur, feathers and leather. She has been a supporter of the SMI since launch and said she was honoured by the King's recognition.
“The Sustainable Markets Initiative is an organisation I have proudly supported since its inception in 2020, and I am so grateful to His Majesty for this recognition. For me, the most important thing about the SMI is that its focus goes beyond discussion to driving action. I am deeply honoured to become an Ambassador," she said.
His Majesty King Charles III presents Stella McCartney with a sustainably sourced Mongolian cashmere scarf made by Erdos, embroidered with the Terra Carta seal (Courtesy).
Currently, the global fashion industry produces over 100 billion garments annually, contributing to 10% of global emissions, 20% of global wastewater, and a fifth of the world’s plastic waste. In response, the private sector is shifting toward implementing circular practices across the value chain and SMI has established itself as a go-to platform for CEOs looking to drive the sustainable transition.
SMI connects key stakeholders across the fashion eco-system, intersecting design, retail, finance and beyond to accelerate private-sector progress in the industry. Complementing this work, Stella McCartney co-founded the SOS Fund – providing critical early-stage investment to next-generation material innovators, and helping to scale the solutions needed to decarbonise fashion at speed.
“We are proud to welcome Stella McCartney as an official Sustainable Markets Initiative Ambassador as we continue to accelerate the private sector shift toward circular and responsible fashion. As a pioneer in sustainable fashion, her expertise and unwavering commitment will help drive meaningful progress across the sector. Stella’s leadership is deeply aligned with the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force, chaired by Federico Marchetti, which, together with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, promotes regenerative practices and supply chain transparency through digital passports. Together we are joining forces to put Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation," SMI CEO Jennifer Jordan-Saifi said.
As well as attending the installation, the King said front row at the Tolu Coker show, where he sat next to BFC CEO Laura Weir and Stella McCartney. Coker is a British-Nigerian designer and a former beneficiary of The King’s Trust. She presented a collection featuring sustainable, “reformative luxury” with deadstock fabrics and upcycled materials.
Main image: King Charles III sat next to Stella McCartney to watch the Tolu Coker show (Aaron Chown/PA)
