BFC announces wild animal skins ban for London Fashion Week

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced that London Fashion Week’s fur-free policy has been officially extended to include a ban on wild animal skins from next year.

The BFC’s deputy director of policy and engagement, David Leigh-Pemberton shared the news of the new policy in a speech to Parliament.

It makes London the first of the big four fashion weeks to take such a step, which means skins such as snake and crocodile will no longer be allowed. But it’s not the first prominent fashion week overall to bring in a ban. Copenhagen got there before it, implementing a ban in March, with that event having become ever more focused on ethical and eco strategies in recent seasons.

The organising body of London Fashion Week only introduced a fur ban last year and while exotic skins are les likely to be used by many of the smaller independent labels that show at LFW, it’s still a headline-grabbing development. And given the trend for some big names to vary the city in which they show from season to season, some ultra-luxury brands could be affected if choosing to show in London.

The issue of exotic skins seems to have divided the luxury sector. Despite general agreement that fur has had its day and most companies no longer using it, some companies such as LVMH, Kering, Prada, Hermès and Kering still use such skins. 

While there have been claims that using the skins of invasive species such as the Burmese python can be good for the environment in countries where it’s not native, many objections have been based as much on the methods used to kill the animals with groups such as Peta highlighting these. 

Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection have also campaigned against the use of wild animal skins and in a joint statement said they “celebrate the BFC’s strengthened policy, which they have campaigned for and co-wrote with the BFC”.

Emma Hakansson, founding director of Collective Fashion Justice said: “We also know there is more to do, continuing the conversation on feathers towards what we hope will be a totally wildlife-free policy.

“For decades, brands have banned fur, stating an opposition to killing animals specifically for fashion. This is exactly what happens to the crocodiles, snakes, ostriches and other wild animals skinned and plucked for fashion too, making bans on these skins and feathers consistent with an existing and widely agreed upon ethical premise.

“Momentum for wildlife protection in fashion is building, as the organisations have helped to deliver totally wildlife-free policies across Copenhagen, Berlin and Melbourne Fashion Week.”