Meghan Markle Wears Wedding Reception Dress by Cruelty-Free Designer Stella McCartney

The new Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle donned a dress by cruelty-free fashion designer Stella McCartney for the Royal Wedding reception following her marriage to Prince Harry today.

Earlier this week, many speculated that the Duchess would wear a Stella McCartney wedding dress for the big day. Markle opted for a gown designed by Givenchy for the ceremony, but emerged from Saint George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday evening with husband Prince Harry in tow, wearing a simple halter, mock-neck McCartney gown made in silk crepe.

While the origin of the silk is unclear, the Stella McCarney website notes that over the years, she has used a mix of traditional silk and “Peace Silk,” a material that is made the same way as commercial silk but compared to traditional silk, silkworms used for Peace Silk are allowed to turn into moths and emerge naturally from their cocoons. The silk is then gathered from the forest after the moths have flown away. Committed to moving towards using more sustainable and cruelty-free materials, last year, McCartney partnered with Bolt Threads, a brand that makes yeast-based vegan silk.

Singer, songwriter and proud vegan dad Paul McCartney posted about Meghan Markle’s wedding reception dress shortly after the photos emerged, expressing his pride in his daughter’s accomplishment. “Congratulations all round. Me, Nancy, and all our family send our love to all those involved,” he wrote.

Stella McCartney is vegetarian and committed to environmental sustainability, another cause close to Markle’s heart. In lieu of wedding gifts, she and Prince Harry asked the public to donate to charitable causes that they believe in, a few of which were related to environmental conservation.

While Meghan Markle’s vegan diet applies only to most of the week, according to a close friend of the princess, Markle supports animal welfare and refuses to wear fur. Last year, a royal insider revealed that Markle had convinced Prince Harry not to participate in the traditional boxing day hunt, further solidifying Markle’s love of animals.