PETA Demands That ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ Nix Cruel Feathers From Costumes
London – On the heels of a recent flurry of feathered ensembles hitting the stage on Strictly Come Dancing, PETA is cutting in. In a letter (available here) sent to Executive Producer Sarah James, the group highlights the cruel ways birds are raised and killed for their feathers and asks that the programme follow the lead of top fashion designers by quickstepping the violently obtained material out of its wardrobe department.
“Behind every feathered frock on the dancefloor is a once-living bird who was shocked, slaughtered, and violently plucked for their plumage,” says PETA Vice President of Corporate Projects Yvonne Taylor. “PETA urges Strictly Come Dancing to put its best foot forward by sticking to fabulous feather-free fashions that no one had to die for.
In their natural habitat, ostriches form strong social bonds, nurture their young for up to three years, and can live for more than 40 years – yet in the fashion industry, workers forcibly restrain ostriches as young as 1 year old, electrically stun them, and slit their throats before tearing the feathers from their still-warm bodies. Other birds fare no better – peacocks, pheasants, emus, turkeys, and chickens all endure miserable lives on crowded farms and painful deaths so that their feathers can be used for fashion.
PETA notes that consumer demand for animal-friendly materials is on the rise and more designers are moving away from cruelly obtained feathers. Stella McCartney recently launched a feather-free pledge in collaboration with PETA – which Felder Felder, Richard Malone, Patrick McDowell, and VIN + OMI, among others, have already signed – while Victoria’s Secret wowed audiences with its first show featuring stunning designs made exclusively from beautiful handcrafted faux feathers.
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow the group on Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram.
Contact:
Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; JenniferW@peta.org.uk
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