Stella McCartney Unveils World’s First Plant-Based Feathers

The Feather Industry’s Stark Reality Feathers have long been prized in fashion, but this beauty often hides widespread cruelty.

McCartney said, “But I realised not that long ago that feathers were a whole other barbaric part of the industry”—a wakeup call considering that, according to her research, 3.4 billion ducks and geese are harmed or killed for down every year, and more than a million ostriches are slaughtered for plumes.

Beyond ostriches and geese, peacock and marabou feathers also come from inhumane factory settings, with animal rights groups like PETA documenting live-plucking and poor welfare standards.

Traditional faux feathers aren’t the answer either; they are almost always made from petroleum-based plastics, which can take centuries to decompose and pollute waterways with microplastics…