Quotes by Stella McCartney

“I found that when you have a baby, they are so pure and untouched that a car goes past and you look at all the pollution and you really want to protect them.”

“I have never felt like this before. Its just fantastic, an absolute dream.”

“She would have loved some of the things Ive done recently. She would have loved all my veggie shoes and she would have dug the Adidas thing. Shed have loved the perfume. Its a bummer. At the weekend I really wanted to call her, talk crap down the phone. I didnt have anything to say, just sort of babble. She was the classiest woman I know. And class? You cant buy class, you know?”

What you wear in the evening is important for women because its so personal, and its so complicated to get it right. I like trousers for evening, especially when they have that width and attitude to them.

When I first started designing sportswear, I felt that women werent represented in sports performance. I felt that men were dressed really well both technically and visually, and women were almost like an afterthought.

Ive got my organic veg patch and fruit; were very garden-obsessed, my husband and I. He designed a garden for me for Christmas, so beautiful! Alasdhairs very good at the proportion and ground work, and I come in and do the planting and the color scheme.

I ride my bike, I work out, I do a bit of, er, dancey things.

It wasnt easy navigating publicity when I started, because I grew up with being famous, and Im just not into it, and I guess defensiveness gets read into that. And I didnt get an easy ride at the beginning.

My mum had a massive influence on me, not just in what she wore and how she looked, but in her spirit. She was married to one of the most famous men in the world, and she didnt wear any makeup, ever. I mean, have you ever seen the wife of a man like that rock up with no makeup on? Because I havent since.

Strength on its own in a woman is quite abrasive and not terribly attractive all the time.

Theres no excuse for fur in this day and age.

I am a fashion designer. Im not an environmentalist. When I get up in the morning, number one Im a mother and a wife, and number two I design clothes. So the main thing I need to do is create, hopefully, exquisitely beautiful, desirable objects for my customer.

I literally have meetings at eight oclock in the morning, and I finish at nine oclock at night. It sounds pathetic, but I dont even have time to go shopping.

As a British fashion designer, it is an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be creative director of Team GB as the hosting nation of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

My job at the end of the day is to design timeless, desirable, beautiful products. Its not about just designing a bunch of organic jumpers. I have a balance within the brand. If you try to create something people enjoy, and it happens to be made in a responsible way, then thats when you can really strike an incredible balance.

I think the fact that my parents werent conventional - especially considering their position - had a big influence on the way that I conduct myself now in design and business. It had a huge impact on my wanting to do something a bit more than just designing a pretty dress and putting it on a runway and making it glamorous.

My job is to make desirable, luxurious, beautiful clothing and accessories women want to buy. My first decision is always based on, Can I do this in a more sustainable way without sacrificing design? If I can, then there is no reason not to.

Very early, I thought I would go into music, but I was aware that it would bring a set of obstacles I didnt find particularly attractive. Also, Im not a great performer! For a while, I thought I would do something in landscape gardening. But it was always fashion for me.

Im incredibly sad that my mothers not here to see my kids and that my kids dont get to know her. And she didnt meet my husband. Thats one of the hardest things. I dont even know how to put that into words.

Sustainability goes across everything I do with Adidas and everything I do with my own house, so the Olympic kit is no exception. It is incredibly environmental in the way that it is manufactured. For example, theres no leather; its free from PVC. Theres lots of woven materials, which means a lot less waste.