Vegan feathers? Yep, that’s a thing. Which means there’s no excuse for using feathers in fashion anymore at all!
By Chere Di Boscio
Feathers have been used in fashion since forever. Native Americans festooned themselves with feathers plucked from eagles and other birds. The more feathers you had, the higher your social status.
For centuries in Europe, feathers decorated the hats of everyone from Musketeers to society ladies, and in the 20th century, feathers made a splash in fashion during the flapper era. Dresses were embellished with them to create more movement – or ‘flapping’. Cabaret entertainers, too, used feather boas to enhance their performances.
Today, feathers decorate everything from couture gowns to hippy earrings. But the truth is, what fur is to an animal, feathers are to a bird. In short, using feathers for fashion is downright cruel.
So…why do we still accept it?
Image below: Ralph & Russo
When certain designers announced they’d give up using fur in their collections, many vegans rejoiced. And when London Fashion Week said that they’d only allow collections for SS/23 that were free from fur or exotic skins, that was good news, too.
Yet many of us wondered: why aren’t feathers and fur included?
The Council explained their position thusly:
“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.”
So, basically, a word salad. But if I understand correctly, the ‘BFC survey around the use of fur’ continuing to ‘reflect what is seen as a cultural change’ means if people create that cultural change by demanding a ban on feathers, fur and leather, that’s what the BFC will reflect. So, it’s up to us – and the designers. And some are indeed on a path of change.
Designers For Change
Alexi Lubomirski is a top A list photographer, and the founder of Creatives4Change. This is an initiative where creative professionals (including designers, editors, photographers and stylists) can pledge to work without using fur, exotic skins and feathers. One such designer is Stella McCartney, more of which below.
“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 told GLAMOUR magazine. It should be noted that while GLAMOUR ran the interview with him criticising the use of feathers in fashion, they also lauded feathers as being the ‘it’ look for 2023.
Macy’s, Selfridges and other luxury retailers have vowed to ditch fur and exotic skins. The same goes for designers such as Burberry, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Tommy Hilfiger and UNIQLO.
Even high street brand ASOS offers tons of faux feather items on their site. including clutch bags, skirts, dresses, blouses and PJ sets. An ASOS spokesperson stated:
“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.”
So, if so many brands have nixed feathers, why do others insist on using them?
Well, according to Lubomirski, many fashion designers are loathe to ban feathers from their collections, because they ‘add an instant touch of luxury’, and are not as shunned by the public as fur or exotic skin is. We hope that will change soon!
Image below: ASOS
Myths Around Feathers In Fashion
Every year, millions of birds are harmed or killed for fashion. Ostrich feathers are the most used of all wild bird feathers, with over two million being killed annually for clothing and accessories.
South Africa’s ostrich industry emits some 62,134 tonnes of carbon equivalent emissions each year, with both the production and processing of feathers being more climate-intensive than ostrich skin production.
While many believe that the feathers are harvested after the animals are killed for food, this is simply not true. In fact, PETA (People for the Treatment of Animals) recently exposed several undercover investigations into ostrich farms. The most recent footage shows workers torturing the birds by plucking out their feathers while the animals were still alive.
Young ostriches were also filmed being forcibly restrained by workers before being electrically stunned, their throats slit, and then the feathers torn from their bodies. Those especially fluffy, delicate feathers? They come from babies.
The same kind of horrors are experienced by ducks and geese for their feathers, too.
PETA’s partners have filmed geese and ducks being plucked alive for their feathers, despite assurances and “responsible” labels.
And remember: as well as obvious feather embellishment on your clothing and accessories, puffer jackets are usually down filled, too. And don’t even get us started on duvets and pillows!
Image below: Elie Saab
Vegan Alternatives To Feathers
There’s simply no reason to use feathers anymore at all, thanks to a wonderful innovation.
It’s called ethical plumes, and it was created by Texas-based fashion brand Blue District.
Led by innovative French designer Cici Voise, the sustainable fashion brand spent years developing and refining ethical plumes to be the softest, most lightweight alternative to ostrich feathers.
“By utilising a specific sewing method paired with very fine threading, and eco-friendly dyes, ethical plumes™ can mimic the look and feel of traditional ostrich feathers without causing harm to any animals,” says Voise.
But there are other alternatives, too!
One is the clever use of wool to mimic feathers. Sure, it’s non-vegan, but at least it’s vegetarian.
Pangaia might have come up with the sweetest idea! They’ve developed FLWRDWN™ . This is a biodegradable material which is made from mainly from wildflowers. There’s also a small amount of biopolymer, infused with aerogel. It’s far less impactful than synthetic options.
Other innovations include BioPuff®, which uses regenerative bulrushes instead of feather down. Stella McCartney uses this material, as well as NONA Source deadstock fabrics. She takes these deadstock fabrics and frays them to mimic the look of feathers.
Stella McCartney’s Vegan Feather Collection
Stella’s feather free feather collection features her typically sculptural shapes and clean minimalism. But these are embellished with fun, vegan feathers.
Whilst it’s usually the male fowl that is most colourful, Stella was inspired by the earthy plumages of female birds. The result is a more neutrally-based palette, with pops of peregrine, jay blue, acid canary, goldfinch yellow, cardinal red, and oriole oranges. These are set against dark heron greys, raven blacks, and swan whites.
Vegan innovations continue in her accessories. For example, the iconic Falabella bag is reimagined as a padded tote filled with a hemp shell and BioPuff®. As mentioned, this vegan down is crafted from bulrushes, but that’s not all! These plants actively contribute to wetland regeneration. Specifically in Cambridgeshire’s The Great Fen in the UK. This fibre source has also allowed for a reduction in carbon emissions, provided spaces for biodiversity to be boosted and will help build climate resilience to both droughts and flooding.
You can see how her ‘feather free feather’ collection took flight, below, or discover the full collection here.
The Bottom Line On Vegan Feathers In Fashion
Thanks to many new materials, such as ethical plumes, BioPuff® and NONA source deadstock, there’s really no excuse for designers not to use vegan feathers in fashion. They only do so because:
- the public is still ignorant about the animal cruelty behind feathers in fashion
- they are essentially lazy and want to use their longstanding suppliers
- designers and consumers simply don’t care
It’s up to us to draw attention to this issue. Please spread the word, and share this article! After all, if you’ve banned fur because you believe that humans shouldn’t be wearing an animal’s skin, then you should be banning leather and fur, too.
- WIN A Scarf By Sydney Duncan Worth Over $100 - September 14, 2024
- 5 Fashion Upcycling Tutorials To Try - September 12, 2024
- Why Luxury Consignment Shops Are The New Normal - September 6, 2024