The return of Stella McCartney to H&M after 20 years feels like a full-circle moment.
When the pair first collaborated in 2005 after Karl Lagerfeld’s landmark debut partnership, it set a precedent for what high-low fashion could look like. With a new collection launching on May 7, that conversation has evolved into something more layered: a reflection on legacy, access and the ongoing push towards sustainability.
Unveiled during a press conference on a boat in London, with the River Thames providing a suitably theatrical backdrop, the collection reads as retrospective and reset. It draws from 25 years of McCartney’s design language, folding together her early signatures with the codes that have come to define her brand today. Oversized shirting, sharp tailoring and sweeping trenches sit alongside playful archival references: slogan tees, bejewelled prints and a revived sense of irreverence.
“I see this collection as a journey through my fashion history,” McCartney said. “It’s a mix of current classics and some of my old favourites, playful, strong, sparkling, joyful, refined.”
There’s a deliberate tension at play between past and present, nostalgia and progression. A ribbed knit dress is finished with the designer’s signature Falabella chain at the neckline; a sweeping white gown curves into itself with a cape-like silhouette; a cherry-print resurfaces in sheer mesh.
Elsewhere, a studded white T-shirt emblazoned with “Rock Royalty” nods to a now-famous DIY moment with actress Liv Tyler that McCartney recalls with humour.
Accessories play an equally strong role. Six bag styles, from compact shoulder bags to oversized totes, feature prominently, many incorporating the Falabella chain, reimagined here in recycled metals. It’s a subtle but important shift, reinforcing the collection’s material focus.
Beyond aesthetics, the collection is anchored in material innovation. Organic cottons, recycled fibres and responsibly sourced wool form the backbone, while more experimental elements, such as coated materials derived from industrial maize and recycled vegetable oil, point to where fashion could be heading. It’s a continuation of a conversation McCartney has been having for decades, now amplified by H&M’s global scale.
H&M creative adviser and head of design womenswear Ann-Sofie Johansson said: “One of the reasons why we collaborate again is to show what progress we have made during these 20 years. Stella inspired us to be better.”
That progress is not only visible in the materials but in the thinking behind them. Transparency, accessibility and longevity sit at the core of the collection, ideas that feel increasingly urgent in a fashion landscape still grappling with its environmental impact.
The campaign, shot in London by Sam Rock and featuring Renée Rapp, Angelina Kendall and Adwoa Aboah, mirrors that duality. Playful yet grounded, it introduces the tagline “&Stella,” reinterpreted as &Me, &You, &Here, &Now, a quiet call for connection, responsibility and shared intent.
Q&A
What made you want to come back and collaborate with H&M?
McCartney: “What I love about this, and one of the reasons I said ‘yes’ to coming back after all this time, was that H&M didn’t just leave it there. They could have gone, ‘OK, great, we’ve used her name and now we’re not going to practice it anymore’, but to their credit they’ve continued to do so.”
How has H&M evolved in terms of sustainability since then?
Johansson: “We started with organic cotton and a few years after that we were the biggest buyer of organic cotton. Today all the cotton we use at H&M is organic or recycled or better-sourced cotton. We can make a big change and want to be part of the solution.”
How did you approach the first collaboration compared to this one?
McCartney: “I came at the first one very differently. I stipulated a very clear list of requirements and they were all around sustainability. It was like, everything has to be this or I’m not going to do it. This time I really wanted to make it quite gender fluid and I definitely wanted to have a solution-driven wardrobe [using] the superstars of Stella and the icons.”
Why was it important to include detailed information on the garments?
McCartney: “I was adamant I want facts on all those swing tags. I want whoever’s coming at this, who doesn’t know what the word sustainable means, to go, ‘wait a minute, that’s a recycled polyester’, and then, ‘what does that mean?’, and try and search for more of that. It’s all about educating people.”
Why was it important for the collection to feel versatile?
McCartney: “I really wanted these designs to stay in your wardrobe. I designed it very much to be interchangeable. It’s one of the main things about being one of the very few female designers designing for women, I like to try and make life a bit easier. We’re in a rush.”
What do you hope people take away from this collaboration?
McCartney: “This is a conversation people can be cynical about or be positive about. At the end of the day, these are the facts. These pieces are better than anything you are going to get anywhere in the world today from a collaboration like this. I’m really proud of that. I hope we can inspire people, make people curious and see what we can achieve. You don’t have to sacrifice any style for sustainability. You can look amazing and be who you are through what you wear.”
The Stella McCartney H&M collection will be available from May 7 at Sandton City, V&A Waterfront and online via Superbalist.
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