She counts A-list celebrities among her friends, and her father is the legendary Beatle Paul McCartney. For fashion designer Stella McCartney, her life and career show that a famous last name can be both a blessing and a curse, needing to prove that she is successful because of talent instead of birthright. At age 15, she interned with Christian Lacroix. In college, she apprenticed on Savile Row, where she learned the fine art of tailoring. Just five years after graduation, the young designer was appointed creative director of the French ready-to-wear house Chloe. After a successful reign turning around a dying label, McCartney launched a label of her own, Stella McCartney Ltd., with help from fellow designers Tom Ford and Gucci. McCartney has worked to make her fashion lines more vegan-friendly, an anomaly in an industry that values the use of animal products such as leather and fur. In Stella McCartney, learn how this eco-conscious leader and skilled designer overcame the perception that her famous name, rather than her undeniable talent, propelled her success.
