Lady LUX

There’s no question that British fashion designer Stella McCartney is well-known for her rare blend of avant-garde styles and eco-friendly approach in the industry. Since her brand launched in 2001, McCartney has made it a point to never use real leather or fur, opting for high-grade faux materials instead. For Winter 2012, the designer took the initiative one step further by creating biodegradable soles for footwear.

The new assortment of “Lauren” boots and pumps boast McCartney’s high-fashion sensibility with a sharp pointed toe and a sporty contrasting thick white platform. While the upper is crafted from faux-leather crocodile stamped material or faux smooth leather, the sole is made from APINAT, a bioplastic. The eco-friendly alternative complies with biodegradability standards and is made from renewable raw materials.

The designer also integrates green efforts throughout her company. All Stella McCartney stores, offices and studios in the United Kingdom are powered by Ecotricity, a company that invests the money its customers spend on electricity into clean forms of power such as wind. McCartney’s company is also certified carbon neutral, and offsets over 3000 tons of CO2 annually though initiatives such as the Uchindle-Mapanda reforestation project in Tanzania, the La Pradera landfill management project in Columbia and the Candelaria hydropower project in Guatemala. As an everyday practice, UK employees book taxis through Green Tomato Cars, a service that utilizes only the most environmentally friendly vehicles available.

McCartney aims to push the company towards achieving sustainability.

Tagged in: footwear, eco, stella mccartney, sustainability, green, united kingdom, environmental causes, biodegradable soles, eco-friendly,