“There is another world beneath us. A world of movement, colour and extraordinary life — one older than humanity, yet essential to every human breath we take.
For generations, we have treated the ocean like a mirror; looking back at ourselves, without seeing what lies below. Ignorance has replaced curiosity, alienation has absorbed compassion and we no longer see life, in seafood.
The reality is that we are anything but separate. There is water in our bodies, air in our lungs and a climate that sustains us — all intricately connected to the health of our oceans.
Every sea creature has a role, a rhythm and an existence beyond value to us.
To protect this world, we must reconnect with it. We must replace indifference with wonder, and the urge to extract with the willingness to understand.
Because once we accept that humanity exists within nature — not above it — taking responsibility isn’t a choice anymore. It’s the only option.”
These are the words of Dr Sylvia Earle, the American marine biologist, oceanographer and ocean conservation advocate, written for the Stella McCartney Spring/Summer 27 runway, Beneath the Blue. The collection exploring the “moral dilemma as old as humanity itself: At what point does a living creature become a commodity, and who gets to decide?” This time, with a sharp focus on the sea.
“The ocean covers more than 90% of the planet’s habitable space, produces around half of the oxygen we breathe and absorbs approximately 26% of human-produced carbon dioxide each year. Yet marine biodiversity is increasingly under threat,” say the show notes. The fashion industry, meanwhile, has contributed to a 76% decline in average freshwater fish populations worldwide and accounts for 20 to 35% of all the microplastic that flows into the ocean. Synthetic fibres are even being found in Arctic sea ice, the deep sea, fish and shellfish, according to Just One Ocean.
The Stella solution? A collection made using 100% responsible materials, including RCO100™ by Säntis Textiles, a textile and plastic recycling system, and Living Ink’s Algae Black™, which turns algae waste into a clothing-friendly black pigment. Together they form the foundation for a collection boasting wave-themed silhouettes, nautical stripes, blue colour palettes and imagery of ocean animals. This is, it's fair to say, a show with soul.