At the Centre Pompidou, the Stella McCartney Summer 2026 runway opened with Helen Mirren reciting the Beatles’ Come Together. This season, Stella’s vision arrived with extraordinary conviction, it’s 98% conscious and entirely cruelty-free character rejects leather, fur, feathers, and exotic skins as options to daily wear and couture. But as V knows, refusal is only the start. What truly defined this season were the “summer innovations,” as Stella called them. Which are these, you may ask?

PURE.TECH, a certified Denim technology developed in the UK that actively cleans the air as it is worn. Each piece absorbs carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, transforming pollutants into harmless compounds.

Courtesy of Stella McCartney

FEVVERS, the world’s first plant-based alternative to feathers, offering regality and motion without cruelty. The innovation spares more than a billion birds slaughtered annually and reduces the emissions and chemical treatments tied to conventional feather production. Developed with Mumbai-based artisans at Chanakya International, FEVVERS carries social weight as well, uniting couture craft with empowerment and heritage.

Courtesy of Stella McCartney

For accessories, the Ryder tote was upsized, meant for everyday use. The Falabella was turned into a clutch for the first time, with its chain set against sequins. While, Dartmoor bags were pieced together from denim waistbands, carrying the ethos of craft and reuse. For shoes, the Elyse platforms were made in raffia and mesh, joined by pastel heels and a ballerina flat with a chain clasp at the ankle.

McCartney has always been fashion’s most consistent voice of conscience, but Summer 2026 reveals a new sense of maturity through a collection of garments that minimize harm and actively contribute.

Courtesy of Stella McCartney