Melbourne Fashion Week will ban the use of feathers across its runways beginning FY24 in a bid to protect wildlife, as feathers have become the new fur in the fashion industry causing cruelty and death among birds.

It is the only global fashion week to implement a ban on wildlife-derived materials, according to the Feathers are the New Fur report published by the World Animal Protection Australia and the Collection Fashion Justice.

The organisations are now urging fashion week events to follow suit and recommend that the fashion industry replace feathers with animal-free innovative and sustainable materials.

The report noted that the international feather trade has an estimated value of US$8.3 million, with ostriches as the main victims of the fashion trend.

It added that these ostriches go through a painful process of live feather plucking, while those deemed no longer profitable are killed on the spot with industry-approved killing methods, such as applying blunt force trauma by hitting the head with a hammer.

“We have the capacity and creativity to move fashion beyond all cruelty to animals and the associated environmental and human impact of this exploitation. With this capacity comes the responsibility to act upon it, all the while creating beautiful, carefully made clothing,” the report said.

Meanwhile, despite praises from animal rights activists, Melbourne Fashion Week is currently facing a boycott from black models as they protest against racism in the Australian fashion industry.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that several black models will not participate in the event but will rather speak publicly about their experiences of discrimination.