SMCP confirms down and feathers ban by Autumn 2023

SMCP, the parent group behind Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot and De Fursac, has confirmed its commitment to ban items made with down and feathers by Autumn/Winter 2023.

The announcement follows its 2020 commitment to ban exotic skins from its collections, as well as its 2019 commitment to ban the use of real fur.

PETA, the animal rights group, recently moved its attention away from campaigning against the use of fur in fashion, with so many brands across the board banning its use in recent years. The organisation now largely focuses on banning the use of other animal products, such as leathers and feathers.

Warm and high-performing vegan fillers made from natural and recycled materials which, unlike down, do not accumulate dust and mould and retain their insulating properties even when damp, are widely available today. Brands using them include The North Face, Napapijri, Henrik Vibskov, and Italian brand Save the Duck, which was previously awarded Company of the Year by PETA US.

In an e-mail to PETA France, SMCP said: “Our group is committed to have completely removed duck and goose feathers across its four brands by the autumn/winter 2023 season,” and explains that it has begun “for several seasons, a shift in favour of materials allowing, among other things, to replace feathers and down in each of our brands”.

PETA Director of Corporate Projects, Yvonne Taylor, added: “SMCP’s compassionate decision is great news for the birds who will be spared the agony of live plucking and a violent death at the slaughterhouse. We celebrate this move and call on other brands to follow suit and cut ties with the abusive and cruel down industry.”