Cruelty is Out of Fashion

Wild animals used for fashion all endure a short life of objectification and cruelty before a brutal death.

Each year, millions of wild animals suffer through exploitation and slaughter for the profits of fashion brands that have not progressed to more innovative and humane fashion alternatives.

Increasingly, fashion shows and brands are choosing to transition away from cruelty, enacting sustainability, social, and animal welfare policies to keep up with growing consumer demand for more sustainable, ethical, and animal-friendly fashion.

Disappointingly, of the four major international shows--London, New York, Milan, and Paris--only London has banned fur. Even with the lack of action from many of the fashion weeks, fashion brands are implementing their own policies to protect wild animals.

To avoid becoming ‘out of fashion,’ fashion week organizers need to keep up with the brands they exist to celebrate.

Falling Out of Fashion

Sweden mink fur farm
There is no way to transform a wild animal into a coat, bag, or shoe without causing immense suffering.

Consumer behavior is changing as the public learns how animals are used and abused for fashion. Consumers are shifting towards brands that do not profit from animal cruelty. It’s time for the industry to align its practices with community expectations.

The trade of wild animals is cruel, unsustainable, and unnecessary. It is a source of immense suffering for millions of animals and puts our environment and human health at risk.

The use of wild animals for fashion is dominated by three categories: the fur trade, the skin trade, and the feather trade. The wild animals most commonly exploited and slaughtered for their fur include mink, foxes, chinchillas, and raccoon dogs. Crocodiles, alligators, snakes, lizards, and ostriches are farmed and slaughtered for their skin. Ostriches and peacocks are also exploited for their feathers.

Walking the Walk

Fashion show runway
A kinder, more humane, environmentally responsible, and safer fashion industry is not only possible but exciting, creative and inevitable. 

World Animal Protection and Collective Fashion Justice recommend that all fashion festivals, brands, and fashion industry sponsors immediately adopt a policy that bans the use of furs, skins, and feathers.

Where these bans cannot be achieved immediately, a clear, public timeline for discontinuing their use should be announced.

Any fashion festival or brand committed to relegating wild animal exploitation for fashion to history is encouraged to contact Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection for discussion and support in doing so.

The fashion industry must ask itself whether it will be a leader to protect wild animals, biodiversity, and the planet, or if it will continue to profit from their harm and destruction.

Please support us as we call for brands and events to implement fur, skins, and feather bans.

Tell the world