London Fashion Week will be the first major fashion event to ban exotic animal skins from 2025, making it a landmark decision. Designers showing their collections will have to exclude the skins of animals such as crocodiles, alligators and snakes, setting a significant precedent in the fashion industry.
The British Fashion Council’s deputy director of policy and engagement, David Lee-Pemberton, announced the ban on exotic animal skins during a speech in Parliament this week. The move builds on the BFC’s earlier commitment to ban fur, a pledge made by chief executive Caroline Rush in 2018, which was officially delivered in December 2023. (Also read: Sobhita Dhulipala dazzles as she showcases a gorgeous wine-hued lehenga at Lakme Fashion Week, brides-to-be are taking notes )
London leads the way with a ban on exotic skins, feathers are a problem
London has established itself as a leader in the practice of sustainable fashion at the “big four” fashion weeks – New York, London, Milan and Paris. He was the first to ban fur, and now he has become the first to ban exotic animal skins. The progressive move brings London closer to smaller but influential events such as Melbourne and Copenhagen Fashion Weeks, both of which were banned. Meanwhile, Milan and Paris continue to feature fur in their shows, highlighting the gap in industry standards in the major fashion capitals.
London Fashion Week, which is strongly influenced by young designers, may find it easier to implement a ban on exotic animal skins, as the main users of such materials are often the leaders of leather goods, according to The Business of Fashion. However, feathers present a more complex problem as they are often used as a decoration on clothing, and it can be difficult to tell the difference between real and artificial feathers. In fact, in 2023, retailers such as Boohoo and Selfridges were found to be mislabeling real feathers as faux.
The BFC’s ban on exotic skins promotes sustainable development
A press statement from the British Fashion Council highlighted that the ban was part of a wider initiative by the Positive Fashion Institute. This initiative aims to promote social, environmental and sustainability standards in the fashion industry in line with the evolution of views in the London fashion scene.
The decision to ban exotic animal skins from London Fashion Week comes in response to growing pressure from animal rights activists, who have long called for the use of such materials to be banned in the same way as fur. Organizations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) actively protest at fashion events, catwalks and outdoor demonstrations against brands that use animal hides, skins and fur.
Yvonne Taylor, PETA’s vice-president of corporate projects, praised the British Fashion Council for its progressive stance, saying: “Tens of thousands of PETA supporters have contacted the BFC calling for this progressive step. We salute the compassionate British designers who helped make this happen.”
