When London Fashion Week announced that every collection shown for spring / summer 2023 would be free from fur or exotic skins, many of us wondered: what about feathers?
While the fashion world has turned their back on fur (LFW has been fur-free from 2018 onwards) and exotic skins, including crocodile, snake or lizard, are out of style, it seems feathers could be next on the list. But will they be a harder animal element for designers to give up?
The British Fashion Council explained the process so far: “As part of the BFC’s Positive Fashion Initiative, each brand on the official LFW schedule is asked to submit their plans regarding the use of real fur / feathers / exotic skins in their upcoming collection. The BFC survey around use of fur continues to reflect what is seen as a cultural change with more designer businesses and international brands choosing not to show fur as part of their collections and increasingly moving to being completely fur-free businesses.”
Cruelty is inherent to the production of fur.
Anti-fur protestors have been vocal for decades and in 2023 fur is no longer our only option for keeping warm (although, of course, there remains a debate as to the sustainability of synthetic fake fur, considering the materials’ reliance on plastic-based fossil fuels…).
However the ethical reasons for avoiding fur are clear. Likewise, exotic skins have slowly become more unacceptable - Burberry banned their use in May last year after repeated animal welfare campaigns highlighting unethical practises and animal abuse earlier in the supply chain.
Alexi Lubomirski is the go-to photographer for royalty and the uber-A list, and also founder of Creatives4Change - an initiative where creative professionals (including designers, editors, photographers and stylists) can pledge to work without using fur, exotic skins and feathers. In his discussions across the industry, Lubomirski has seen that removing feathers in fashion remains a lower priority.
“People see feathers as much less of a problem in terms of volume and scale. Feathers are often seen as a fantasy… something more decorative. Feathers are less of an everyday thing,” he admitted.
All the feathers GLAMOUR saw on the catwalk leaned towards eveningwear, echoing Lubomirski's thoughts, and while we asked two designers for their opinion on using feathers both declined to comment for this feature.
It seems some fashion designers are loathe to give up on feathers for their aesthetics, and when speaking with designers Lubomirski has found they are less keen on pledging avoidance of feathers, compared to fur or skins.
“(Designers) have said to me, “Feathers give us this last little accent to put on something that could be perceived as mundane… put some feathers on it and it suddenly becomes aspirational and fantasy-like.” Although Lubomirski believes avoiding feathers should inspire a challenge to creativity. “If you take away feathers, how are you just going to use fabric to create fantasy? Rather than relying on something that has a bloody story behind it…”
6,600 deaths for one kilogram of your fave material.
In contrast to the vast amount of animal pelts required to create an entire coat, the number of feathers in fashion needed for a trimming seem small. Indeed, feathers often appear as an accent, a detail edging a hemline, cuff or collar, rather than a swathe of plumes from collar to floor. But even a tiny trim still incurs an animal impact, say animal welfare organisations.
PETA Director of Corporate Projects, Yvonne Taylor, told GLAMOUR that their investigations, “show that whenever birds are exploited in the fashion industry abuse is guaranteed.”
“'Marabou' feathers belong not on models but on turkeys or chickens,” Taylor commented, claiming that they endured a life of misery on cramped, filthy factory farms before being hauled off to the abattoir. She added that, “PETA entities have filmed geese and ducks being plucked alive for their feathers, despite assurances and “responsible” labels. Today there is no excuse for continuing to use any sentient being’s body parts.”
As well as obvious feather embellishment on your clothing and accessories, as we head into autumn, don’t forget that your snuggly puffer jacket might be filled with down too. If being feather-free is important to you, then it's crucial that you double check the components of the filling.
Down feathers are super-soft - they are the tiny feathers that grow close to the birds’ skin as an insulating layer. Unlike wing feathers, down doesn’t have sharp, stiff quills so is particularly light and warm (hence ideal puffer-jacket filling.) The alternative to animal-derived filling - synthetic padding - is often made from polyester and derived from highly polluting plastic and finite oil resources, leaving us with little in the way of an appealing option.
But there is a less impactful alternative… Pangaia is leading the way in stylish sustainability with their science-led developments created specifically for fashion use.
They have developed FLWRDWN™ - a biodegradable material which is made from wildflowers, biopolymer and infused with aerogel. It could be a genius alternative to feather-filled coats (and far less impactful than synthetic options, too.)
But when it comes to feathers, it seems many shoppers still want the real deal. Arket have been using upcycled feathers, reclaimed from discarded sleeping bags and bedding products, since 2018 and Karen Millen and Coast have seen searches for feathers up 282% year on year.
However, those searching for the drama of a feather-trimmed garment, might find that just as fake fur, faux leather and mock-croc are now viable options, faux-feather is becoming more accessible too.
Weighing up the differences between ethical and sustainable decisions.
ASOS currently have 182 “faux feather” items on their site including clutch bags, skirts, dresses, blouses and PJ sets. An ASOS spokesperson shared their thinking: “We are committed to working with industry experts to support the ongoing research, development, and implementation of animal welfare standards – it isn’t acceptable for animals to suffer in the name of fashion. We've experienced a strong appetite for our faux-feather pieces across clothing and accessories, with particular success across our ASOS LUXE collections. We're able to offer synthetic alternatives to feathers for looks that deliver on both style and impact.”
“Whenever I talk to people about Creatives4Change, I talk about knowledge," says Lubomirski.
“We all know where these things come from. We can't pretend, we can't feign ignorance anymore. We can't say, 'Oh, I never really knew where feathers came from.' Or, ‘I thought they were just picked up off the floor.’ We know that's not true. So when you have that knowledge, you are forced to make a decision.” So, what will your decision be?
Read more from Glamour UK Fashion Director at large Alex Fullerton here or follow her on Instagram @alexandrafullerton
