PETA supporters stormed the red carpet at The Fashion Awards at the Royal Albert Hall to urge the industry to swear off using feathers. The animal allies held signs proclaiming, “Feathers Are Worn by Beautiful Birds and Ugly People” to call attention to the cruel ways birds are raised and killed for their feathers. They brought the star-studded soirée to a standstill before being hauled away by security.
What’s Wrong With Feathers?
Every feathered frock and down-filled jacket spells misery for sensitive birds, who are tormented, plucked bloody, and violently slaughtered for their plumage. With this latest fashion show disruption, PETA is calling on designers and compassionate consumers everywhere to leave birds in peace and embrace innovative vegan materials that no one had to suffer and die for.
Birds Are Killed for Feathers
In nature, ostriches stay with their parents for up to three years. In the fashion industry, workers forcibly restrain ostriches as young as 1 year old, electrically stun them, and slit their throats before tearing the feathers from their still-warm bodies.
Other birds fare no better: peacock farms may hold as many as 10,000 birds in cramped conditions, and sickness and injuries are common. “Marabou” feathers, meanwhile, usually come from turkeys and chickens, who spend their entire lives confined to filthy cages or crowded sheds before being violently killed.
Brands Are Aware of Cruelty
PETA Asia investigators visited duck farms and slaughterhouses in Vietnam connected to companies and brands that sell misleadingly named “responsible” down and exposed the terror birds endure at these facilities. As the investigative footage revealed, workers mercilessly stab ducks, slit their throats, and cut off their feet while they’re still alive.
Moncler Group’s Stone Island, whose CEO, Remo Ruffin, was honoured at the awards for being a “trailblazer”, is among the brands implicated in this investigation.
Speak Out for Birds
A growing number of consumers and designers are ditching feathers and opting for animal-friendly materials. Stella McCartney recently launched a Feather-Free Pledge in collaboration with PETA – which Felder Felder, Richard Malone, Patrick McDowell, and VIN + OMI have already signed. You, too, can promise never to steal a bird’s feathers for fashion and join us in calling on Moncler Group to ditch down.
