Stella McCartney launches the campaign for its latest vegan ‘it bag’, the Stella Ryder, featuring award-winning Australian actor Sarah Snook, captured alongside horses – the British designer’s favourite animal, and the inspiration for the accessory’s curved  silhouette.

Snook smoulders in the Stella Ryder campaign wearing McCartney’s signature Savile Row tailoring, knitwear and the Miracle Dress – a beloved style insiders tell us the British designer will be relaunching soon.

The Stella Ryder builds on the cruelty-free cachet of McCartney’s iconic Falabella bag, which paved the way for vegan luxury bags in 2009. This new silhouette takes the sophistication and craftsmanship up a level. In true Stella style, each is hand-sculpted in Italy from recycled and grape-based leather alternatives to mirror the shape of a horse’s nape and back. Each Ryder bag is handcrafted without any animal products, down to the glue. Recycled And Grape- Based Innovations material giving a second life to winery waste from Italy. Each is stitched together and lined with organic hemp, a naturally renewable plant-based material. The final touch is the hardware, with a hand-placed lock in polished brass.

While the cruelty-free materials may be different, the finished product has the same level of quality and craftsmanship as any other luxury bag. The Stella Ryder is yet another win for the designer, showing the world once again that luxury does need to compromise on ethicality, sustainability or desirability.