Ahead of the collection's launch in May, L'OFFICIEL took an inside look at the range of new ultra-chic designs&mdash;and the sustainable, conscious decisions behind them.&nbsp;

Twenty years ago, Stella McCartney teamed up with H&amp;M for its second-ever collaboration, following the success of the brand's line with Karl Lagerfeld. Karl's shoes will always be tough to fill, but for McCartney, the challenge wasn't about industry politics&mdash;it was a calling to bring her sustainable, highly coveted designs to the masses. Now, decades later, she's doing it again, except this time, she's brought her sartorial icons out for the occasion.&nbsp;
From sultry sequined mesh dresses to effortlessly elegant tailoring, the collection exudes pure, unadulterated Stella&ndash;and the fans love to see it. The line, which launches May 7, features Stella signatures ranging from oversized button-downs to tops adorned with her iconic Falabella chain to playful graphic tees. With all of the designer collaborations swirling around the scene these days, this labor of love might have been destined for consumer disinterest, but instead, the designer's revered sartorial ethos and impassioned emphasis on sustainability have landed it as one of the most coveted collections of the season.&nbsp;
Below, see our full interview with McCartney and Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&amp;M's Head of Design, ahead of the collection's launch.&nbsp;

Ann-Sofie Johansson and Stella McCartney. Courtesy of H&M.

L'OFFICIEL: H&amp;M collaborations have long served as cultural moments that merge high fashion with accessibility and affordability. Ann-Sofie, how does this partnership with&nbsp;Stella&nbsp;reflect where H&amp;M is heading next?
ANN-SOFI JOHANSSON: It's been 20 years since our first collaboration with Stella, and we wanted to celebrate that milestone. Stella's a great designer, and we know that our customers love Stella's designs and garments. It's also a way for us to talk about women designing for women and sustainability, especially in terms of what we've achieved during these 20 years&mdash;what progress we've made, but also about the fact that we have a ways to go as well.
We want to put sustainability back on the agenda again. We've been talking about it, and it feels like [sustainability] is falling off the wagon a bit. Some people are concerned with other things, but we can't look away. We have long-term goals, and we'd like to open the topic back up again and have a conversation around it. Being transparent and open to working together, in a general sense, is important, and we want people to ask us questions and see what we can actually achieve from this beautiful collaboration.&nbsp;
L'O: Stella, you&rsquo;ve collaborated with H&amp;M previously. This time around, what felt different, either in terms of design priorities or the philosophies behind the looks? 
STELLA MCCARTNEY: The first collection felt completely different, actually. At the time, nobody was doing these collaborations between High Street and high fashion; we were literally the second one after Karl [Lagerfeld]. I was a little hesitant to do it, but I knew then that nobody was doing anything consciously, manufacturing was at its all-time low, as one of the most harmful industries to the planet. I was very conscious that I wanted to have conversations with people who would have a big impact, and who had a negative impact [environmentally], and I wanted to help teach them everything I had learned and show them that you didn't have to make any sacrifices&mdash;you could still have a beautiful product and great designs. I was really curious to have that conversation with H&amp;M then, and to stipulate, These are my rules, I'm only going to do it if we work in this way.&nbsp;And they rose to the challenge. I was very pleasantly surprised at the time; I couldn't believe the quality they had managed to get.&nbsp;
What I love about that first collection is that it worked. It sold out within minutes, and the pieces had a resale value of five times the original price. The consumer was like, I can't normally buy into this brand, I want to, but she's too expensive, and that was one of my other reasons&mdash;to broaden my base. I didn't like this elitist thing. I don't love it when people are like,&nbsp;I love your Falabella, but I can't afford one. That breaks my heart, because I want everyone to be able to afford conscious, well-designed, well-made fashion.&nbsp;
I loved that it was a success, I love that I saw it on people, and I love that they didn't even realize they were wearing sustainably made clothing. But what I really loved was that I walked away from that, not only feeling good and proud of what I brought to H&amp;M, but I saw that they were practicing this; they were actually taking what I had brought to them and elaborating on it. They kept to this promise.&nbsp;
Now, coming back to this new collection 20 years later, it's been so different. Number one, I have 25 years of work, and I can look at my icons and say Okay, I want to create a wardrobe of Stella icons, and again, a new audience of people can have access to my work. But they can also really learn, they can be informed by our swing tags and see what the materials are factually. Every single thing now has a completely sustainable element.&nbsp;
And, number two, this time around, they were teaching me some things. They were using the same suppliers as me, so I was so encouraged that the scale of what I had hoped to do had actually happened.&nbsp;

Stella McCartney x H&M Collection. Photography by Sam Rock.

L'O: Stella, across your career, you&rsquo;ve created styles that fall within a range of different style families. Your most recent collection, presented at Paris Fashion Week, embraced equestrian-inspired looks. Does this line take on a new aesthetic, or are you experimenting with something familiar?
SM: I'm a woman designing for women, but this collection is quite androgynous, actually. I want men, women, and anyone, however you identify, to be able to find something. Everything is an icon, I styled it all, and it's all Stella moments. I took a look at the history of the brand and evaluated some of the most iconic looks over the years, so it's a real collective.&nbsp;
I'm very conscious that I want to create solutions for people. I know life's not easy. Everyone's busy, everyone's stressed, so I really wanted to create looks that were solution-driven. It has day to evening, it has sexy, sparkle, it's like a gift&mdash;you're welcome!
The first time around, I just designed everything fresh, because it was early on in my brand. But this time, I wanted to take it as a moment to pause and reflect, and have pride in everything we've done and how far we've come, like with the vegan bags and mycelium shoes. I wanted to share the accomplishments, what I've learned, and the promises [in sustainability] that I've delivered upon.&nbsp;
L'O: Sustainability, environmentalism, and animal-free materials are central to your work. How did that philosophy translate within this collaborative experience?
SM: It's vegan, it's all free of animal deaths, but there's also no toxic tannery chemicals that can be cancerous to the people who work with those leathers. It's kindness and love. This collection is a little piece of joy, it's humor. It's an alternate solution, and you'd never know that it's sustainable by looking at it.&nbsp;
AJ: Everything is organic or recycled, or from an otherwise more sustainable source. It's everything that [Stella] stands for, with the sharp tailoring, eveningwear, and the femininity and the coolness to it.&nbsp;
SM: It's timeless, also, you can wear it forever. You're not going to throw it away; it's not going in a landfill. If anything, it'll be resold. In fact, I might go in disguise and buy everything I can to get my kids' allowances. In all seriousness, though, it has a positive impact, as opposed to a negative impact, and that's all we're really looking for.&nbsp;

L'O: Looking back at your first collaboration with H&amp;M, how do you see your evolution as a designer? Are there major differences that you see from then until now?
SM: No, I think I have specific things that I like and that I'll always do. I love lingerie; there are some iconic little handkerchief pieces in the collection that go back to my work in the '90s. And then there's men's tailoring, I always do it, I can't help myself&mdash;that tension between the male and the female is perfect. There's great outerwear, accessories, knitwear, t-shirts, hoodies with spray paint... I think it's a real example of all things Stella, I don't think I've changed much.&nbsp;
AJ: Looking from the outside, I think you had very clear DNA from the beginning. The first time around, it was like this also, except maybe with different silhouettes. You have the icons, that's what we love, and I know the customers love it too. You have the casual-ness with the denim and the hoodies and the dressed-up with the eveningwear, and when you mix it, it's really just a cool little wardrobe. It's wearable.&nbsp;
SM: I'm normally quite modest, but on this occasion, I'm actually very proud&nbsp;
L'O: For longtime fans of your namesake label eager to shop this collection, what styles feel the most &ldquo;Stella&rdquo;?
SM: I find it hard, because I really do love them all, but there's a mesh dress with cherries and sequins on it. I love how playful it is; it's got a very hopeful, joyous energy, which is very important to me if you're going to invest in fashion. Plus, you can roll it up or chuck it in your handbag&mdash;it can go everywhere. For me, travel and versatility are important. You can wear it day-to-night, you can wear it on the beach with flip-flops, or you can style it with a pair of heels and a smoky eye. It's a one-hit wonder. But also, I love the tailoring, I would live in the tailoring.&nbsp;

L'O: What does the future of fashion look like to you? How does this collaboration with H&amp;M align with that?
SM: Kinder, more conscious. Less cruel, less killing of creatures. This is my idea of the future of fashion. I think if everything looked like this and was made like this, we'd all have a much cleaner planet and a much cleaner consciousness.&nbsp;

Stella McCartney Breaks Down Her New H&M Collaboration: 'This is the future of fashion'

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