Stella McCartney Debuts Woven Ryder Bag

Stella McCartney launched the latest iteration of its Ryder bag, a handwoven edition inspiring a new level of cruelty-free craftsmanship. Debuted on the Summer 2025 runway during Paris Fashion Week, artisans intricately interlace laser-cut panels of supple vegan alternatives. Incorporating recycled, organic and grape-based innovations, it is a masterclass in luxury without leather.

In the 24 years since Stella McCartney launched as the first luxury fashion house to never use leather, feathers, fur or exotic skins, animal cruelty remains an industry issue. Leather comes from animal agriculture and cattle farming, which is responsible for 80% of the Amazon’s deforested areas (WWF). 

It also causes the deaths of over 1 billion creatures annually (PETA) as well as human suffering, with 90% of Bangladeshi tannery workers dying before the age of 50 (The Guardian).

Each Ryder is handcrafted by leather artisans in Italy that Stella McCartney has retrained to work with its pioneering vegan innovations – a harmony of traditional skills and next-generation materials. The bag’s silhouette is sculpted to mirror a horse’s nape and back, an homage to Stella’s favourite animal. It is immediately recognisable for this signature shape and brass lock hardware.

The Ryder’s equestrian codes are rooted in Stella’s upbringing, raised by Paul and Linda McCartney – among the first celebrity 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. She still turns to horses as a source of support and healing.

Sophistication meets sustainability; the Ryder is formed with a cruelty-free leather alternative incorporating recycled materials and trimmed with VEGEA, a grape-based solution. The bag’s lining is in organic hemp, a naturally renewable plant-based fibre.

The Ryder builds on the legacy of the iconic Falabella, the first-ever vegan luxury bag that launched in 2009. To date, over 1 million have been sold, saving the lives of countless creatures. Where the Falabella is soft and slouchy, the Ryder is structured and sculptural – presenting again the limitless possibilities of cruelty-free craftsmanship.

The woven Ryder bag is now available in Stella McCartney boutiques worldwide and at stellamccartney.com.