Stella McCartney on Choosing a Winner for Sustainability Challenge With Lenovo and Why She’s Hopeful About the Next Generation of Designers
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LONDON — Stella McCartney has named a winner as part of her project with Lenovo to challenge 38 MA Design Course students from Central Saint Martins to come up with a sustainability solution.
McCartney narrowed it down to four finalists, whose work was displayed inside the brand’s Old Bond Street store. She chose Peter Nasielski as the winner for an innovative eyewear design made from regenerative algae seaweed.
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“They’re all winners, honestly, it sounds so cheesy, but I think at the end, I had to look at it on a couple of different levels, not only the creative, but also the realistic supply chain solution,” McCartney told WWD about how she made her decision.
“Every day at Stella McCartney I’m trying to make sustainability real and it’s easy to have a fantasy, but to try and find something in the winner that I could actually try and put into practice was my main goal,” she added.
McCartney recalled the judging process being an insightful one where she learned a lot. “Looking at the next generation, I personally put so much hope on them for solving the problems of design and sustainability,” she said, explaining that she was impressed how the students thought outside of the box and pushed boundaries.
“They’re activists and to try to take these amazing ideas and try and make them real is our challenge,” she concluded.
Nasielski, a student from California, will receive a three-month internship at the Stella McCarntey headquarters in a department of his choice, as well as an internship with Lenovo’s design innovation team at their headquarters in North Carolina, along with the other three finalists.
“Throughout these eight weeks, I have been challenged and empowered to think beyond sustainability and, as a result, I have created something that aims to inspire and make change for the regenerative future of the fashion industry,” said Nasielski.
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