While quiet luxury defines the moment, these brands’ messages on activism are loud and clear.
Fast fashion is increasingly prolific and there’s a growing focus on the industry’s effects on the environment. In response, luxury brands are doubling down on ethical and eco-conscious practices and championing inclusion in the most powerful forms that the industry has ever seen.
Since its debut in 2001, British brand Stella McCartney has been a leader in sustainable fashion. The label’s early activism includes countless collaborations to support women’s rights, environmentalism, and ethical production practices such as the first garments made of regenerative cotton, as well as collections and campaigns like a limited edition drop for War Child UK to raise awareness and provide support to children living in conflict zones.
A flurry of accolades for founder Stella McCartney followed her brand’s debut, including receiving a Commander of the Order of the British Empire award for her contributions to fashion and sustainability in 2023 and being named PETA’s Person of the Year in 2024.
The brand continues to make headlines as its summer 2025 campaign is its most sustainable collection to date. Free from leather, feathers, fur, and exotic skins, the collection includes the Stella Ryder, a first-of-its-kind luxury handbag crafted in collaboration with Hydefy, a fungi-based vegan alternative to leather; cloud knits spun from PEEKABOO recycled nylon yarn; and garments in Kelsun™, a seaweed-based textile, available commercially in the luxury space for the first time. Also in the collection—and donned by celebrities since its launch—is the “Mother Fucker” tank top, an homage to women and the earth, printed in a carbon-negative black pigment created from algae waste.
As seen on the runway in Stella McCartney’s summer 2025 presentation, the Mother Fucker tank top reimagines the brand’s iconic About Fucking Time archival look. (Photo courtesy of Stella McCartney)
Prada has followed suit with such eco-conscious measures as the 2019 launch of SEA BEYOND, a project in partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (UNESCO-IOC), to raise sustainability awareness and contribute to ocean preservation. The Prada Group tapped actress Sadie Sink to front a recent campaign educating and encouraging the next generation to protect the ocean.
“The promotion of culture and education is an integral part of the sustainability strategy,” says Lorenzo Bertelli, the Prada Group’s Head of Corporate Social Responsibility. “The collaboration with UNESCO embraces this path and translates it into a direct channel of communication with students around the world.”
Luxury brands are also making strides in diversity and inclusion. French fashion house Chloé is leading the charge, which comes as no surprise from a brand founded with a mission in 1952 to redefine the very idea of women’s fashion.
“When Gaby Aghion founded Chloé in the early `50s after the war, she wanted to liberate women and allow them to be free and live their lives the way they want,” explains Chloé creative director Chemena Kamali.
“It is something I emphasize in my collections—that women should be free to follow their intuition, follow their dreams, and wear what feels right in a way that allows them to be themselves.” And with a majority of women in management roles, the brand prioritizes gender equality, both internally and externally. “As a creative director, I am deeply convinced of the crucial role female leadership plays in shaping the future of our industry.”
While current conversations surrounding the methods of fashion production and influence continue, luxury brands including Stella McCartney, Prada, and Chloé demonstrate that they have more at stake than creating beautiful clothing and accessories. While they leave their mark on the world through fashion, they also work to maintain a positive impact in the world through collaborations, missions, and materials.
