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Episode 10: Stella Mccartney Reading English Story

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Stella McCartney

When designer Stella Mccartney arrived on the fashion scene, many people claimed her success was due to her famous name. Her father is, after all, Beatles legend Paul Mccartney. This, however, is not true. for Stella, becoming a success took hard work, determination and, of course, talent.

In 1995, after graduating from Central St Martins College of Art and Design in London, she enjoyed almost immediate success. Two short years later, at the age of twenty-six, she became the head designer at Chloe,- a famous Parisian fashion house. After four highly successful years at Chloe, Stella launched her own fashion label and showed her first collection in 2001.

Since then her company has been growing steadily. In that time, it has developed a reputation as a fashion company with a difference. When Stella was growing up on a farm, her parents taught her to respect animals, to be aware of nature, and to understand that human beings share the planet with other creatures. These beliefs have had a huge impact on her and, as a result, she believes in ethical fashion now. Ethical fashion covers issues such as working conditions, Child labour, fair trade and responsible production that does not harm the environment.

As a lifelong vegetarian, Stella does not use any natural leather or fur in her designs. The fabric she prefers is organic cotton and she has been experimenting with eco-friendly materials and production processes for some time. Recently, Stella decided not to work with a fabrics factory because the process used by it to colour the fabrics was very harmful to the environment. An entire river near the factory became red, making the water unsuitable for drinking or for use in agriculture.

Stella’s ethical fashion also aims to help poor workers. For this reason, she has created a range of cloth bags together with the United Nations International Trade Centre. The programme provides work for poor communities in Kenya, where the bags are created by hand. So far, 160 people in disadvantaged areas have been involved in the production. They are earning money, which has improved their lives.

Stella Mccartney has an interesting philosophy. Instead of just creating new designs season after season, she believes designers should ask themselves how they make their clothes and accessories, where they make them, and what materials they use. Thinking about these questions makes designing more challenging and more interesting, but still allows designers to create luxurious, beautiful items that people want to buy. Stella is proof of that.

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STELLA McCARTNEY

• Organic-not using artificial chemicals in the growing of plants and animals for food and other products.
• Reputation-the opinion that people have about someone or something because of what has happened in the past
• Determination-the quality of trying to do something even when it is difficult
• Harmful-causing harm
• Lifelong-continuing or existing all through your life
• Eco-friendly-not harmful to the environment
• Luxurious-extremely comfortable or elegant, often expensive
• Launch-to start something, usually something big or important
• Fair trade-a way of buying and selling products that makes certain that people who produce the goods receive a fair price
• Fabric- cloth used for making clothes, curtains etc
• Cloth-material used for making things such as clothes cotton/woollen/silk etc cloth
• Child labour-the illegal use of children to do work that is normally done by adults
• Challenging-demanding
• Ethical fashion-fashion that follows the moral principles
• Graduate-to obtain a degree, especially a first degree, from a college or university
• Disadvantaged area- not having the standards of living conditions, education, etc. That most people have
• Aim-to try or intend to achieve something

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When designer Stella McCartney arrived on the fashion scene many people claimed her success was due to her famous father. Her father is, after all, Beatles legend Paul McCartney. This, however, is not true. For Stella, becoming a success took hard work, 1.______________ and, of course, talent.

In 1995, after 2._______________ from Central St Martins College of Art and Design in London, she enjoyed almost immediate success. Two short years later, at the age of twenty six, she became the head designer of Chloe,- a famous Parisian fashion house. After four highly successful years at Chloe, Stella 3.______________ her own fashion label and showed her first collection in 2001.

Since then her company has been growing steadily. In that time, it has developed a 4.______________ as a fashion company with a difference. When Stella was growing up on a farm, her parents taught her to respect animals, to be aware of nature, and to understand that human beings share the planet with other creatures. These beliefs have had a huge impact on her and, as a result, she believes in 5.________________now. This type of fashion covers issues such as working conditions, 6._____________, 7._______________ and responsible production that doesn’t harm the environment.

As a 8.________________ vegetarian, Stella does not use any natural leather or fur in her designs. The fabric she prefers is 9.______________ cotton and she has been experimenting with 10._______________ materials and production processes for some time. Recently Stella decided not to work with a fabrics factory, because the process used by it to colour the 11._______________ was very 12._______________ to the environment. An entire river near the factory became red, making the water unsuitable for drinking or for use in agriculture. Stella’s ethical fashion also 13.______________ to help poor workers. For this reason, she has created a range of 14.______________ bags together with the United Nations’ International Trade Centre. The programme provides work for communities in Kenya, where the bags are created by hand. So far, 160 people in 15.__________________ have been involved in the production. They are earning money which has improved their lives.

Stella McCartney has an interesting philosophy. Instead of just creating new designs season after season, she believes designers should ask themselves how they make their clothes and accessories, where they make them, and what materials they use. Thinking about these questions makes designing more 16.______________ and more interesting, but still allows designers to create 17.________________, beautiful items that people want to buy. Stella McCartney is proof of that.