King Charles has appointed fashion designer Stella McCartney as an Ambassador of the Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), marking a formal recognition of her long-standing involvement in sustainability within the fashion industry.
The Sustainable Markets Initiative was founded by King Charles, then the Prince of Wales, in 2020 to support the global transition to a sustainable future. Its Fashion Task Force is chaired by Federico Marchetti, former CEO of YOOX Net-A-Porter. McCartney has supported the SMI since its launch and has worked closely with initiatives linked to sustainable fashion and materials innovation.
The appointment was announced during the King’s visit to an installation at London Fashion Week celebrating sustainable British innovation, curated by Stella McCartney. During the visit, the King presented the designer with a sustainably sourced Mongolian cashmere scarf made by Erdos, embroidered with the Terra Carta seal.
The installation, hosted by the British Fashion Council, brings together a number of material innovators, including FEVVERS, Sequinova, Radiant Matter and YATAY. The showcase features developments ranging from plant-based alternatives to feathers, mycelium-based leather alternatives, and biobased, plastic-free sequins.
McCartney is widely recognised for her use of sustainable materials and for her long-standing decision not to use animal-derived materials such as fur, feathers and leather in her collections. She said she was honoured by the King’s decision to appoint her as an Ambassador.
“The Sustainable Markets Initiative is an organisation I have proudly supported since its inception in 2020, and I am so grateful to His Majesty for this recognition. For me, the most important thing about the SMI is that its focus goes beyond discussion to driving action. I am deeply honoured to become an Ambassador,” she said.
The SMI works to connect stakeholders across the fashion eco-system, including design, retail and finance, with the aim of accelerating private sector progress. Alongside her work with SMI, McCartney is also a co-founder of the SOS Fund, which provides early-stage investment to material innovators and supports the scaling of solutions aimed at reducing carbon emissions across fashion supply chains.
Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of the Sustainable Markets Initiative, welcomed the appointment.
“We are proud to welcome Stella McCartney as an official Sustainable Markets Initiative Ambassador as we continue to accelerate the private sector shift toward circular and responsible fashion. As a pioneer in sustainable fashion, her expertise and unwavering commitment will help drive meaningful progress across the sector. Stella’s leadership is deeply aligned with the Sustainable Markets Initiative’s Fashion Task Force, chaired by Federico Marchetti, which, together with the Circular Bioeconomy Alliance, promotes regenerative practices and supply chain transparency through digital passports. Together we are joining forces to put Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation,” she said.
