‘Their Feathers Belong to Them!’

Stella McCartney and PETA Call On Designers to Go Feather-Free

Stella McCartney wants to wake up the fashion industry. Her eponymous brand was the first major luxury fashion house in the world to go feather-free, and now she is helping PETA fight the use of feathers in fashion. In a series of videos released on social media, Stella showed her millions of followers around the world the suffering birds endure so that their feathers can be stuffed into jackets or sewn onto garments and urged designers to sign PETA’s feather-free pledge.

Stella: Feathers Are ‘Inhumane’ and ‘Unnecessary’

Ostriches are remarkable – inquisitive and clever. They’re also one of the most commonly exploited birds in the decorative feather trade. In 2016, PETA released the first-ever exposé of the highly secretive industrial ostrich-slaughter industry, in which young birds are hit in the head, bags are put over their faces, and they’re jostled in trucks on their way to the kill floor, where they’re slaughtered for their feathers and skin.

PETA’s investigators managed to get inside South African slaughterhouses run by the two largest ostrich producers in the world. There, they filmed 1-year-old ostriches being turned upside down in a stunner, their throats being slit, and their bumpy-textured skin being cut off to be used for handbags and other accessories.

Peacock farms are another atrocity. They may confine as many as 10,000 birds in crowded conditions, and sickness and injuries are common. Increasing demand from the fashion industry has spawned a black market for peacock feathers. And “marabou” feathers, sometimes seen on catwalks and red carpets, usually come from factory-farmed turkeys and chickens, who are confined to filthy cages or crowded sheds before being killed.

Dear Ducks and Gentle Geese Are the Rightful Owners of Their Own Feathers

Investigations by PETA entities at nearly 50 down industry operations in six countries have revealed rampant abuse. PETA exposed workers on a farm in Canada rounding up geese for transport to slaughter by herding them into small wire pens, where they visibly panicked and trampled each other. Geese on the bottom of the pile were crushed or suffocated. A farm in Russia that was reportedly “Responsible Down Standard”–certified failed to stun birds before hacking off their heads with a dull axe.

PETA Asia’s investigation into Vietnamese duck farms that sell “responsible” down to the international clothing industry revealed birds forced to live on wire flooring or confined to dirt lots strewn with feces. Some ducks were breathing with their mouths open, a sign of deep stress. During slaughter, workers stabbed ducks in the neck and cut their feet off while the birds were still conscious. In China, investigators found birds with painful, bloody wounds caused when workers yanked out fistfuls of feathers as the birds shrieked in pain. Birds may endure this terrifying ordeal – known as live-plucking – up to 16 times before being slaughtered.

Animal-Friendly ‘Feathers’ Take Flight

Good news! After hearing from PETA, accessories brand Claire’s, which operates more than 2,750 stores throughout North America and Europe, banned feathers. Top designers including Felder Felder, Eirinn Hayhow, Richard Malone, Patrick McDowell, and VIN + OMI have signed our feather-free pledge, and many others are opting for luxurious faux feathers made from bamboo, recycled materials, and metals. Stella McCartney’s autumn 2024 collection features BioPuff, a material made from bulrushes, whose use contributes to the regeneration of wetlands.