A feather in their cap! Vivienne Westwood’s bird-friendly fashion takes flight on Paris catwalk
Birds could be spared suffering in the name of style as plant-based “feathers” make their mark on one of fashion’s biggest stages.
Vivienne Westwood has showcased an innovative vegan alternative at Paris Fashion Week, bringing fresh hope that feathers taken from birds could eventually fall out of fashion.
Creative director Andreas Kronthaler incorporated the material, called FEVVERS, into three looks for the label’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection.
Designed to recreate the beauty and movement of feathers without using birds, the innovation offers designers a way to deliver catwalk drama with a kinder touch.
Behind the glamour of feather-trimmed clothes, hats and accessories, animal campaigners warn of a trade linked to the confinement, exploitation and slaughter of birds.
PETA says ostriches are farmed for their skin and feathers, while ducks and geese are also exploited by the fashion and bedding industries.
But plant-based alternatives offer the prospect of achieving extravagant looks without taking feathers from animals.
London-based FEVVERS develops its materials using botanicals, combining science and design to create alternatives for fashion and other uses.
The material previously appeared at Stella McCartney’s 2025 Paris Fashion Week presentation, helping introduce the innovation to an international audience.
Its appearance on the Westwood runway gives the bird-friendly alternative another prominent platform, showing how emerging materials can find a place in high fashion.
The development also echoes the late Dame Vivienne Westwood’s interest in animal welfare. The designer, known for using fashion to champion social and environmental causes, previously appeared in a PETA campaign encouraging people to choose vegetarian food.
Choosing clothing and accessories without feathers, and supporting designers developing animal-free alternatives, can help build demand for change.
