Stella McCartney to produce icon bags with sustainable yarn

Stella McCartney's sustainability commitments will now see the brand produce one of its icon bags using a regenerated yarn.

The company confirmed its Falabella Go bag will be made using a fabric yarn called Econyl which is synthesized from ocean waste.

McCartney confirmed earlier this year she would use sustainable viscose, regenerated cashmere and other recycled materials in her collections whenever feasible. The yarn is produced by Aquafil, a company that aims to prove luxury brands can use high end alternatives without forsaking quality or style.

Aquafil chief executive officer Giulio Bonazzi said the Econyl partnership with McCartney "represents the future of fashion. It proves that when sustainable ingredients are of the highest quality, they will be adopted by brands from sportswear to luxury. When sustainability is treated with the same reverence as performance and quality, we see beautiful and impactful collections take the stage.”

Bonazzi said every 10,000 tons of Econyl produced saves 70 thousand barrels of crude oil by avoiding extraction. Aquafil’s Econyl regeneration system diverts waste from landfills and oceans through the recovery of abandoned fishing nets and other discarded nylon waste. The waste is reborn through Aquafil’s regeneration system, which is an example of the circular economy. He said it offers the same quality and performance as traditional nylon, but with the ability to be regenerated an infinite number of times.

“Fashion is an industry that makes a significant impact on the planet. It’s not just cool clothes and trends,” McCartney stated last year.

Photo credit: Stella McCartney Falabella Go bag, source StellaMcCartney.com