Elegance and fashion trends... stripping birds of their feathers

Billions of birds are killed for fashion

Elegance and fashion trends... stripping birds of their feathers

When will fashion houses finally abandon bird feathers? This question has captured the attention of many during recent fashion weeks in Europe, sparking debate about the cost of synthetic feathers on the fashion industry and the environmental impact of continuing to use real feathers.

While some fashion houses claim they lack the influence or funds to truly and permanently change the patterns of these materials in the fashion industry, others are trying to adopt alternative products and bear the high cost. Campaigns aimed at limiting the use of feathers in the fashion industry have succeeded in completely banning them at some fashion weeks, such as Berlin, Amsterdam, and Melbourne. 

This is despite their being secondary compared to the more famous fashion weeks in Paris, Milan, New York, and London, which still allow the use of real feathers in fashion. So what prevents fashion houses and international companies from using synthetic feathers?

Feather Farms vs. Synthetic Feathers

Cost is the most significant factor hindering the use of alternatives to bird feathers, along with the lack of research and slow progress in innovation and the development of alternatives, which remain prohibitively expensive for manufacturers. 

Bird advocates believe that developing plant-based alternatives will provide fashion with the luxury it needs without harming birds. They call for strict laws that would enable major fashion houses to contribute to real change in this field, not just relying on recycled feathers or on farms that have been technically adapted to produce feathers.

Campaigns aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of the fashion industry on birds have succeeded in exempting some species from the exploitation of their feathers in the fashion industry, such as herons and parrots. However, the widespread use of ostrich, turkey, and duck feathers is still being used under conditions criticized by most animal protection organizations. 

One of the most vocal fashion designers criticizing the use of feathers is British designer Stella McCartney, who occasionally posts on her Instagram account calls on all fashion designers to stop using bird feathers. She asserts that 3.4 billion birds are killed or mistreated for their feathers, stating, "These birds are often plucked alive until they die."

Provides a cheerful look

The use of feathers in fashion began centuries ago and has been a symbol of luxury, elegance, and sophistication. Bird feathers were initially used in a primitive way as a raw material to decorate clothing and accessories, especially women's hats. Over time, designers have innovated in incorporating feathers into fashion pieces that combine elegance and sophistication. 

This artistic fashion has withstood time and social and economic changes, giving it strength and resilience even with the spread of environmental awareness about the dangers of using feathers, especially for certain species of birds.

At the beginning of the 20th century, wild birds were widely exploited for commercial purposes. Increased awareness of the impact this had on endangered animals led to the encouragement of bird farming and the technical adaptation of production to exploit their feathers. 

With the increasing use of feathers in clothing, many designers turned to using recovered feathers or those extracted in a way that did not harm birds, in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of feather use.

Although the luster of feathers sometimes faded, it quickly returned, influenced by the extravagant creations of fashion houses and sometimes by the dances and songs that took the stage, such as the song "My Feather Caresses You" by the showgirl Zizi Jeanmir in 1961, which brought bold and provocative feathers back to the catwalk and opened the way for fashion houses to innovate a style that combined feathers with subtle touches in both casual and elegant clothing.

Feathers remain a bold and elegant way to add a touch of luxury to an outfit. Despite the dominance of simplicity in fashion in recent years, the quest for unique looks returns from time to time, and with it the use of feathers, driven by a desire to express oneself and achieve a liberated and joyful look.