Five Fashion Brands Ban Down Feathers

After an undercover investigation conducted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), major clothing British brands including Topshop, Primark, Whistles, Warehouse, and Oasis have pledged to discontinue the use of feathers in their future collections. PETA’s video—captured in China, where 80 percent of the world’s goose down is produced—revealed workers plucking feathers from live birds as they writhed in agony. “Just as they did with cruelly obtained angora wool, forward-thinking fashion brands are jumping to meet the demands of today’s compassionate consumers who want nothing to do with an industry that rips out live birds’ feathers,” Yvonne Taylor, PETA’s senior manager of corporate product, said. Animal products are being phased out of the fashion industry as evidenced by brands such as Giorgio Armani removing fur from its lines and the recent launch of the “Non-Animal” collection by shoemaker Vagabond.