Stella McCartney biography
Socialite, Fashionista and Businesswoman

Take one look at the Stella McCartney biography and you'll agree she's her own person - talented, accomplished and successful fashion designer. If your last name is McCartney, you're going to turn a few heads. And raise a few brows. Yet how much of this success she owes to her ex-Beatle father, Paul McCartney, is a question that leaves ample room for debate.

Born in London on 13th September 1981, Stella McCartney, the second child of Paul McCartney and his late wife, Linda Eastman, had a pretty normal childhood, except for her travels with her parents on their tours with the pop group, Wings. According to her father, the name 'Wings' sprung up from Stella's emergency c-section birth, when he sat outside the hospital room, praying that she be born on the wings of an angel.

She attended school with her siblings in the local state school in East Sussex, where she had to endure immense bullying on account of her social status. According to her father, the experience predictably turned her into a bully as well, for a brief period.

Stella McCartney's interest in designing clothes started early; she designed her first jacket at an age when most children are glued to their TV sets and video games - 13. Three years later, she interned with Christian Lacroix, honing her skills under his expert supervision. She went to Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication for her foundation studies and later, to Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, where she studied fashion design.

Supermodels Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss were among the big names who modelled for her graduation collection in 1995 for the graduation runway show. What's more, the show was set to a tune penned by father Paul McCartney, especially for this event, titled 'Stella May Day.' The show was huge hit of course, what with supermodels who modelled for free and an ex-Beatle for a father. It received ample media coverage, made front-page news and the entire collection was sold to a London based boutique called Tokio.

Stella McCartney is a lacto-ovo-vegetarian and an active member of PETA. She does not use fur or leather in her designs and comes down strongly against those that do. She does use animal-derived fabrics such as silk and wool though, that do not require the slaughter or harming of animals.

March 1997 saw McCartney take over Paris fashion house, Chloe, as creative director. In 2000, she won her first VH1/Vogue 'Designer of the year' award, presented by her father and in 2001. She resigned from Chloe, to enter into a joint venture with Gucci.

Among other headlines that Stella McCartney made, she also designed Madonna's wedding dress for her marriage to Guy Ritchie, designed clothes for singer Annie Lennox's summer tour, Madonna's re-invention tour and costumes for Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law, for the film, Sky Captain and the world of Tomorrow.

Stella McCartney's brand operates sixteen stores - including New York, Mayfair, Los Angeles, Milan, Beirut and Hong Kong. She's married to British publisher, Alasdhair Willis and has three children - two sons and a daughter. Although her last name has earned her ample criticism, one cannot deny that the Stella McCartney biography is being written by herself. She is talented, focussed and resilient, in her own right.

Stella McCartney biography links

• Stella McCartney biography from Vogue
• Her biography in Stella's own words