Why the British Fashion Council must ban wild bird feathers at London Fashion Week

We already know that none of the designs will feature fur or wild animal skins as the British Fashion Council banned the use of these materials at LFW in 2024 and 2025 respectively. However, one wildlife material we may continue to see on the London catwalks this week is ostrich feathers. 

The hidden cruelty behind feathers

Feathers have become very fashionable again. A-list celebrities wearing ostrich feather designs from Chanel, Dior, Valentino, Gucci and Balenciaga featured heavily in global red-carpet events in 2025 and 2026. However, the reality of where these feathers come from is far from glamorous. 

Ostriches are bred in industrial farming systems and raised on barren feedlots. In the wild, ostriches do not have a natural mass moulting season but rather maintain their feathers all year round. Feathers are therefore either painfully plucked or cut from the birds while they are alive or collected after they are slaughtered. Feathers are highly profitable and demand is up. The ostrich feather industry is a multi-million dollar industry and it is primarily being fuelled by fashion.  

Why a wild bird feather ban at London Fashion Week matters

While the world of high-end fashion can seem far removed from everyday life, the material choices made by designers and fashion houses can have a significant impact far beyond the catwalk. The trends set at London Fashion Week are adopted and recreated across the industry, driving what styles, looks and materials are considered desirable, right down to our high street clothing stores.  

Fashion industry councils, like the British Fashion Council, have a direct influence on standards, policies and best practices within the sector. They have both the opportunity and the responsibility to promote ethical practices and support sustainable innovation through guidance, education, policy development and industry-wide initiatives.  

In banning fur and wild animal skins at LFW, the British Fashion Council sent a powerful message to fashion designers and brands that wild animals should not suffer and die for fashion. But, as long as wild bird feathers remain allowed on the catwalk, this message is incomplete. A ban on wild bird feathers is the final step in ensuring that LFW aligns itself fully with the growing movement for wildlife-free fashion. 

We need your support

Join us in calling on the British Fashion Council to make London Fashion Week truly wildlife-free. Every signature helps show the British Fashion Council that the public wants a fashion industry which protects wild animals rather than one which profits from their suffering.