Stella joins Taylor’s squad
THERE’S A NEW MEMBER of Taylor Swift’s squad: Stella Mccartney. This week, pop’s favourite romantic has teamed up with the British designer for a new merch collection to celebrate the arrival of her seventh studio album, Lover.
They might seem like an unexpected duo, but as Stella explains: ‘What I love is how we really complement each other in what we generate creatively together.’
The partnership was born not just out of mutual professional admiration, however, but friendship (both, of course, have music in their blood). ‘When I started spending more time in London, Stella and I would go on walks, have cocktails and talk about life,’ says Taylor. The A-list equivalent of a friendship bracelet, when it came to write the new album, Taylor namechecked Stella in one of the songs. ‘When I played her the album, I said, “Should we do something?’’’
For Stella, who was surprised but thrilled to make her way on to Lover (‘I couldn’t believe that my name is in a Taylor Swift song – what?!’), the answer was a resounding yes. ‘After Taylor played me the entire album it gave me such incredible inspiration for the collaboration and it really revolved around the music,’ she says.
The result is a collection that includes T-shirts, sweatshirts and jackets that draw inspiration from the album lyrics, feature Taylor’s cat Benjamin Button, and pay homage to nostalgic memorabilia. It’s certainly an upgrade from what you’d find on a typical gig merch table.
Take the reusable water bottle, which speaks to Stella’s commitment to ethically and environmentally conscious design. Indeed, sustainability was a non-negotiable despite the lower price point of the capsule. ‘It’s really a stipulation,’ Stella tells Grazia. ‘What I have to do every day is push, push, push to get everyone in that direction. But what I think is fun is also just coming a little outside of that normal merch. For me, a water bottle is really a sign of responsibility, I think it’s like a cool accessory, it’s almost cooler than a designer handbag.’
If, however, you are in the market for a designer handbag, there’s one of those as well. Two limited-edition pieces from the Stella Mccartney main line – a bomber jacket (made from sustainable viscose) and a logo handbag (crafted from Eco Alternappa leather, which contains recycled polyester) – speak to fans of the brand, as much as the singer.
The women had fun creating the collection – and it shows. ‘I think we’ve all approached it as a really joyous kind of gift,’ says Stella. ‘And when you look at the stuff that we’ve created it feels really kind of easy, effortless and enjoyable’. As well as giving us all some new #Squadgoals.