It may sound dramatic, but after many seasons of new collections and catwalk shows, it's hard for a particular fashion item to truly grab my attention. Call me spoiled, but there is just too much gorgeously crafted fashion out there.
This is especially true for designer handbags. I need to truly fall in love to be convinced to save up several paychecks to purchase a new accessory, and I need to make sure it will slot effortlessly into my existing wardrobe as well as stand the test of time.
Well, cynical me has just received the best slap in the face, courtesy of Stella McCartney's new Ryder handbag. It's everything I look for in a handbag, and then some.
I first spotted in on the runway at McCartney’s Summer 2025 runway show in Paris Fashion Week last month, as well as on the FROW, toted by the likes of Natalie Portman, Greta Gerwig and Natalia Vodianova.
Launching on 7th November, the Stella Ryder is inspired by the designer's favourite animal: the horse, as is evident from its curved silhouette, which mirrors the animal's nape and back.
It's modelled in its launch campaign by award-winning Australian actor Sarah Snook, posing next to a horse, a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed either, since I'm a huge Succession fan.
I'm going to call it: this is going to be the perfect day-to-evening bag. It's sleek, timeless and big enough to fit all your essentials without crowding your frame.
More importantly, it adheres to Stella McCartney's cruelty-free ethos. Each bag is hand-sculpted in Italy from recycled and vegan leather alternatives. The Ryder bag’s trim and handles are in grape-based VEGEA, a pioneering material giving a second life to winery waste from Italy.
This is especially important to the designer as roughly 6 million horses are killed worldwide each year for human consumption across meat, fashion, horsehair and glue.
Since launching in 2001, Stella is proud to say she has never harmed a single creature for fashion.
