The Tamesis
Stella McCartney is officially a knight. The British designer was made a Chevalier of the French Legion of Honor during a ceremony in the Winter Garden of the Elysée Palace on Thursday. Created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the French Legion of Honor is France’s highest honor and can also be awarded to non-French citizens in recognition of their contributions to the country.
It was an intimate ceremony attended by approximately 50 guests. For McCartney, “friends and family” naturally means a gathering of influential figures, including her father Paul McCartney, Bianca Jagger, Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Naomi Watts, Baz Luhrmann, Anna Wintour, Delphine Arnault, Antoine Arnault, Natalia Vodianova and Charlotte Casiraghi. McCartney’s husband, Alasdhair Willis, and two of their four children were also in attendance, as well as her siblings.
For the occasion, McCartney appeared in her second look from the Fall 2026 show: a navy dress with ruffles and faux fur trim made from recycled polyester. The faux fur that opened the show was a nod to McCartney’s early days as an intern at Christian Lacroix. “I can’t guarantee it will match your outfit,” French President Emmanuel Macron told McCartney before pinning a red ribbon cross to the designer’s left pocket. During his 15-minute speech, he praised her contribution to fashion, sustainability, innovation, animal welfare and France.
Macron spoke of McCartney’s graduate collection at Central Saint Martins, which was handmade in the family garage and featured tailoring sourced from vintage markets. Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell and Yasmin Le Bon walked the show, with music by Paul McCartney. “It made headlines and sold out almost immediately. Not bad for a graduate collection,” Macron noted.
