London Fashion Week has decided to ban the presence of exotic skin in its fashion shows, one of the leaders of the British Fashion Council (BFC) which organizes London Fashion Week announced on Friday.
London is the first major fashion capital to introduce such a ban. “We will no longer present brands using real fur or exotic skins in their collections and we ask stylists to respect these conditions” if they wish to participate in London Fashion Week, wrote in a message published on the network social LinkedIn David Leigh-Pemberton, Head of Policy and Engagement at the BFC.
The use of fur and skins from exotic animals, such as crocodiles and snakes, has long been criticized by animal rights activists. Real fur has already been absent from London fashion shows since 2018. The animal rights association PETA hailed X as “a huge step forward”, and called on Paris and Milan to follow London’s example.
During the last Paris Fashion Week at the end of September, the Hermès fashion show was briefly disrupted by activists from this organization who held up signs against the use of exotic leathers.
The BFC is also now considering its “approach to feathers”, added David Leigh-Pemberton. “This work takes place within the broader context of the fashion sector’s response to environmental and social concerns,” he argued.
