Born and raised in London and the English countryside, Stella McCartney graduated from Central St Martins in 1995. A signature style of sharp tailoring, natural confidence and sexy femininity was immediately apparent in her first collection and after only two collections, in 1997, she was appointed the Creative Director of Chloe in Paris and enjoyed great success during her tenure. Stella McCartney launched her eponymous fashion house in a partnership with Kering as a 50/50 joint venture and showed her first collection in Paris in October 2001. A lifelong vegetarian, Stella McCartney does not use any leather or fur in her designs. Her collections include womenÍs and men's ready-to-wear, accessories, lingerie, eyewear, fragrance and kids. Stella McCartney now operates 51 freestanding stores in locations including ManhattanÍs Soho, LondonÍs Mayfair and Brompton Cross, LAÍs West Hollywood, ParisÍ Palais Royal, Milan, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing. Her collections are now distributed in over 77 countries through 600+ wholesale accounts including specialty shops, and department stores, as well as shipping to 100 countries online. Stella McCartneyÍs commitment to sustainability is evident through-out all her collections and is part of the brandÍs ethos to being a responsible, honest, and modern company.