RYDER PORTRAITS
Dame Helen Mirren stars in a new iteration of Ryder Portraits; a campaign series spotlighting friends of the brand – each one an empowering woman who passionately advocates for causes of their own, aligned with Stella McCartney’s mission. Photographed by Mary McCartney.
Opening Stella McCartney’s Summer 2026 runway show, Mirren narrated the lyrics of The Beatles’ ‘Come Together’, transforming an anthem into a manifesto for humanity, animals and Mother Earth.
HELEN MIRREN WEARS RYDER
Stella McCartney’s most luxury vegan handbag, the Ryder symbolises pioneering innovation and artisan craftsmanship, while Mirren is a highly accoladed, Academy Award-winning actress who is a prominent philanthropist and activist, known for her work supporting women’s rights, education and animal welfare advocacy.
Horses are among the over 1 billion animals killed annually for leather, including those that are injured or are too thin for meat.
CRUELTY-FREE CRAFTSMANSHIP
Each Ryder begins with hand-cut panels of our soft vegan alternatives to leather – stitched together and shaped into the bag’s curved silhouette using a wooden mould, finished with a functional lock in glimmering brass. Every icon is crafted by human hands in Italy with love, and without harming a single creature. Explore our cruelty-free luxury handbag collection here.
Over 90% of horses sent to slaughter in America are in good condition and would be able to enjoy productive lives.
NEXT-GEN INNOVATION
Blending sophistication and sustainability, the Ryder’s body is handcrafted using a cruelty-free leather alternative made using recycled materials, with handles and trims in grape-based VEGEA and a lining in organic hemp – a naturally renewable plant-based fibre. Our Summer 2025 runway show debuted a world-first silver metallic edition, crafted from Hydefy; a cruelty-free material made from fungal micro-organisms blended with sugar cane derivatives.
Roughly 6 million horses are killed worldwide each year for human consumption across meat, leather and fashion, horsehair and glue.
EQUINE INSPIRATION
A mastery of cruelty-free craftsmanship, the Ryder’s silhouette honours the strength, beauty and power of Stella’s favourite animal – the horse. Inspired by an equine nape and back, the bag’s sculptural outline leans into equestrian codes rooted in Stella’s upbringing – raised by Paul and Linda McCartney, both pioneering animal rights activists and vegetarians. She grew up between the wilds of Scotland and an organic farm in Sussex, where her most formative and cherished memories are of riding in nature. Stella still turns to horses as a source of support and healing.
