Feathers are just as cruel as fur

At 9 feet tall, with a wingspan of more than 6 feet wide, and the ability to run at the speed of 43 miles per hour, ostriches are the fastest-running, largest wild birds in the world. They should also be revered for the vital role they play in the African savanna, where they walk dozens of miles a day. They contribute to seed dispersal, control small animal populations, and form symbiotic relationships that enhance predator detection and biodiversity.

Crows around the world are capable of abstract reasoning, complex problem-solving, and group decision-making. And they are adept at communication. A sudden call from a crow acting as sentinel may not only warn of danger, but signal whether flying, hiding, or mobbing will be the best strategy for coping with the threat.

They are geniuses. The same cannot be said about the celebrities who attended the Met Gala in NYC on the first Monday in May—and a plethora of actresses and singers who strutted the red carpet at the Oscars and Grammy’s during spring awards season. The celebrities, designers, and fashion writers all shamefully reduced birds and their feathers to a texture.

“Feathers emerged as one of the night’s clearest texture plays at the 2026 Met Gala, showing up in concentrated placements rather than full-on plumage,” said Women’s Wear Daily.

Friends of Animals is calling out all fashionistas for the heinous act of trying to make feathers the new fur in a new advertising campaign directed by Maison Celeste ad agency in Atlanta. Feathers are the latest luxury fashion trend to distinguish the haves from the have nots.

Adding insult to injury, no one even bothers to identify the types of feathers, as if it doesn’t matter to the animals whom they belonged.

The Met Gala was framed around a “fashion is art” theme. Since when is animal cruelty art?

What’s true for fur is true for feathers—wild animals belong in the wild and whether wild birds are captured from their natural habitat or confined in factory farm conditions, live-plucked, or killed for their feathers, it’s all animal cruelty, a denial of animal sentience.

And no one can wear that well.

Not Anna Wintour, Nicole Kidman, or Beyoncé,—all of whom were draped in ostrich feathers at the Gala. Nor can Lena Dunham, who wore a red sequined and crow feathered Valentino gown designed by Alessandro Michele.

While crows are federally protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the United States, in Italy, where Valentino is based, using crow feathers in fashion is legal, provided the feathers are sourced from legally hunted or bred bird populations.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 04: Lena Dunham attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating “Costume Art” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

Feathers are as cruel & deadly as fur

At the Grammy’s in February, singer Kesha said that her white ostrich feather gown by Atelier Biser was inspired by the goddess Athena and was intended to symbolize her first Grammy weekend as a “free woman,” referencing her freedom to owning the rights to her own voice.

Oh, the irony.

Ostrich farming robs these majestic birds of their wildness, freedom, and lives. They are confined to barren feedlots, and it is estimated that more than one million birds are slaughtered each year, according to the 2023 report “Feathers are the New Fur,” released by Collective Fashion Justice (CFJ) and World Animal Protection.

While several bird species are exploited by the fashion industry, including peacocks, pheasants, roosters, and turkeys, ostrich feathers are the most in demand. South Africa dominates the market, producing as much as 70-85% of ostrich feathers, skins, and meat, according to the report. The report also reveals that it is estimated that 350 ostrich-rearing facilities in South Africa raise birds for slaughter. About 90% of ostrich products are exported, highlighting the power of the global fashion market over this industry.

“Feathers are just as cruel as fur, also taken from animals who are slaughtered specifically for fashion,” CFJ’s founder Emma Håkansson told Vegan Food and Living. “And yet, the fashion industry is using ostrich feathers as though they were faux fur, misunderstanding that they are replacing one injustice with another.”

What’s true for fur is true for feathers—wild animals belong in the wild and whether wild birds are captured from their natural habitat or confined in factory farm conditions, live-plucked, or killed for their feathers, it’s all animal cruelty, a denial of animal sentience.

While wild ostriches can live for more than 40 years, farm...

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