Cruelty-free fashion win: Australian Fashion Week goes fur free
May 17, 2025
In a major win for animal welfare and ethical fashion, Australian Fashion Week (AFW) has officially banned the use of all wildlife-derived materials — including fur, exotic animal skins and feathers.
The change comes after years of advocacy from World Animal Protection and Collective Fashion Justice (CFJ).
Emma Hakansson, CFJ’s founding director, collaborated with the Australian Fashion Council to develop this new policy .
“Killing wild animals for fashion is unacceptable, particularly given the array of bio-based, sustainable and ethical materials that can be used in place of fur, skins and feathers for a similar visual effect,” says Hakansson.
“With all major Australian fashion week events now totally wildlife-free, our country’s fashion industry should be proud to be leading a global shift towards ethical and sustainable fashion.
“Australian commercial industries caging native crocodiles and shooting indigenous kangaroos for international fashion brands should take note: there is no future for this wildlife exploitation, it is time for a just transition beyond it.”
The policy comes into effect immediately, ensuring the May runways are completely free from wildlife exploitation.
AFW now joins Melbourne Fashion Week, Melbourne Fashion Festival, and international counterparts like Copenhagen and Berlin Fashion Week in going wildlife-free. London Fashion Week has also banned fur and wild skins for all designers, though not feathers just yet.
“This latest announcement is a reminder that the fashion industry can be a positive force for wildlife, and change the lives of crocodiles, ostriches, minks and more,” says Suzanne Milthorpe, Head of Campaigns at World Animal Protection Australia.
“We are seeing a domino effect of fashion events around Australia and the world rejecting exotic skins, feathers and fur.
“With this new wildlife-friendly policy, Australian Fashion Week have joined the growing list of runways that are embracing innovative alternatives to cruelty.”
Back in 2022, World Animal Protection and CFJ successfully lobbied the City of Sydney to withhold grants from events promoting wildlife exploitation.
That same year, a pop-up at AFW captured public opinion on the issue — with most attendees agreeing that cruelty has no place in fashion. Today’s announcement puts those values on the runway.
Public sentiment has increasingly favored ethical fashion choices. In 2022, World Animal Protection and CFJ conducted a pop-up activation at AFW, gathering public opinions on wildlife use in fashion. Attendees overwhelmingly agreed that wildlife cruelty is out of fashion.
With AFW’s new policy, Australia solidifies its position as a leader in ethical fashion. The hope is that more fashion events and brands worldwide will follow this example, embracing cruelty-free and sustainable practices.
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