Article updated on 19/09/2022
Stella McCartney previously paid tribute to the Queen when she died on Thursday, September 8.
At the time, the British designer stressed the 'great sadness that we mourn today the passing of Her Majesty The Queen' on behalf of her team.
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Today, to mark Her Majesty's state funeral, which took place at Westminster Abbey, McCartney shared a touching tribute to the late monarch that felt personal.
Taking to Twitter, she shared a throwback photo of her with the Queen in 2013 at Buckingham Palace, when Her Majesty granted the designer an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) medal.
It was awarded in celebration of McCartney's services to the fashion industry.
Recalling that time, the now 51-year-old wrote: 'A moment I will never forget, with a woman who will be remembered forever. She inspired generations of girls around the world, including me. Thank you, Your Majesty. x Stella [sic].'
At the time of receiving the award, McCartney told ITV News: 'It's just a great honour for me.'
She added that she thought the Queen look very 'chic' too.
Article originally published on 16/09/2022
As Britain and the wider world mourns the loss of the icon that was Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away 'peacefully' at Balmoral aged 96 on 8 September 2022, the fashion industry has paid its own tribute to the much-loved monarch.
London Fashion Week has been significantly scaled back this season 'as a mark of respect' to the Queen, falling as it does over the official national mourning period. Numerous events have been cancelled or rescheduled, while the first show of the season, Daniel W. Fletcher, poignantly opened with a one-minute silence for the late monarch. Harris Reed paid a beautiful tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II during his show on Friday night too. A bride walked the runway holding a bouquet of Her Majesty’s favourite flowers, Lily of the Valley, as Adam Lambert sang 'Who Wants to Live Forever?’
Christopher Kane's catwalk show on Sunday evening, the final show before the Queen's state funeral on Monday, will also begin with a one-minute silence in her honour.
As per the British Fashion Council, all union flags across LFW venues will fly at half-mast, while the NEWGEN Venue at Selfridges Hotel will have space for the industry to write tributes – which will then be placed in a condolence book for the Royal Family.
Beyond being a style icon in her own right who inspired countless designers and collections, Queen Elizabeth II enjoyed a significant relationship with the British fashion industry throughout her 76-year reign. In her early years, the Queen worked close with royal couturier Norman Hartnell and regularly championed British design talent where most opted for important Parisian maisons. She also awarded numerous Royal Warrants to designers in recognition of their craft, including Barbour and Burberry.
In 2018, the Queen launched the QEII Award for British Design with the British Fashion Council, recognising design excellence and positive impact. Its launch saw the Queen attend London Fashion Week in person, where she sat on the front row at Richard Quinn's show before presenting the emerging designer with the inaugural award. More recent recipients have included Priya Ahluwalia and Saul Nash.
Following news of the Queen's death, industry heavyweights including Stella McCartney, Paul Smith and McQueen have paid their respects with online tributes, while brands including Raf Simons and Burberry have chosen to cancel their LFW shows altogether as a 'mark of respect'.
The British Fashion Council, meanwhile, wrote: 'Her Majesty’s effortless style, charm and sense of fun was evident and her passion in supporting young creatives will continue to inspire the next generation.'
Clementina Jackson is Acting Site Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, working across news and features, trends, e-commerce and SEO. She was previously Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, and Acting Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, where she was named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner for her work on size inclusivity. An experienced fashion, travel and luxury lifestyle journalist, Clementina has also written for Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Red and Italy Segreta.
