The roulette of the International Fashion Week cycle is never prestigious. That being said, London Fashion Week 2025 will be era-defining in a whole new context. Not only fashion, but also beauty ethics are set to be updated for a long time. Earlier this week, the British Fashion Council, through its Deputy Director of Policy and Engagement, David Leigh-Pemberton, announced a complete ban on all exotic skins for next year’s London Fashion Week.
Clearly not a knee-jerk decision, cruelty-free fashion has been on the vision board since 2018, when a ban on fur was promised by Carol Rush, chief executive of the BFC. London fashion becomes essentially fur-free from December 2023. After 7 years, the ball is finally set to roll on a more holistic approach on emotion, with the most recent chapter starting in February 2025.
For such an established and huge circuit, it is difficult to explain how much real influence, if we can put it in those terms, on the play of the other players of the ‘Big 4’. Their cards – namely New York Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week. Looking at recent trends, all eyes are on Paris and Milan in particular.
For context, exotic animal skins were featured at Paris Fashion Week’s Hermès Spring-Summer 2025 show held on September 29 earlier this year. Three PETA activists stormed the same spot and took out a large procession before being unceremoniously escorted out by security personnel. The show proceeded as planned.
Only time will tell what domino effect, if any, this unprecedented decision of the BFC will have. But animal rights activists around the world have plenty of reason to celebrate. Dr. Charlotte Regan, wildlife campaigns manager at World Animal Protection in the United Kingdom, highlighted why recent developments represent a critical moment. “Millions of animals continue to suffer and die for the sake of fashion, while designers and clothing companies can choose to use lots of innovative and exciting animal-friendly materials,” he told The Guardian in one bite.
With fur and exotic skins crossing the final stage of their journey from exclusive to outcast, PETA and other animal activist organizations are now turning their attention to the use of wild bird feathers in fashion. “With the ban on both fur and now the skins of wild animals at London Fashion Week, our focus turns to the use of wild bird feathers in fashion. We are fully on board with the British Fashion Council on the final stage of their journey to becoming wildlife Looking forward to working on the free program”, Regan shared.
Do you think this new era of global fashion is here to stay?
