Stella McCartney debuts plant-based faux feathers at Paris Fashion Week

Plant-based Fevvers feathers on a dress in the Stella McCartney Spring/Summer26 show at Paris Fashion Week

Fashion designer Stella McCartney showcased the "world's first" plant-based alternative to feathers for the grand finale of her Spring/Summer 2026 show at Paris Fashion Week.

The vegan material was developed by UK start-up Fevvers to offer the same fluffy look and billowing movement as real plumage without the need to kill or harm any birds in the process.

Nude mini dress covered in feathers — Stella McCartney teamed up with Fevvers for Paris Fashion Week

"I've been having the conversation about not killing cows and goats and snakes or any living animal to be made into a shoe or handbag in my industry for over 30 years," McCartney told Agence France-Presse after her show at the Centre Pompidou.

"But I realised not that long ago that feathers were a whole other barbaric part of the industry," she added.

Pink bodice covered in feathers — The show included three looks made using plant-based faux feathers

Currently, most of the decorative feathers used in the fashion industry are either fakes made from plastic or real plumes taken from farmed ostriches, which are reared in conditions decried by campaign groups.

As ostriches don't naturally moult, their plumage is typically live-plucked every few months before the birds are slaughtered.

These farming practices also carry a significant environmental impact, emitting more than 62,000 tonnes of carbon equivalent emissions per year in South Africa, where the industry sources most of its ostrich feathers.

Fevvers founders Nicola Woollon and James West say their material is the "world's first plant-based feather alternative", although the company is holding back details about the exact type of plant used and how it is processed, to ward off copycats while the material is still in development.

Wollon, who is a textile artist, originally encountered the feather-like material when it was used as part of a visual installation at an event.

"I was surprised to find out it wasn't actually a real feather," she told Vogue Business.

Plant-based Fevvers feathers on a long purple gown in the Stella McCartney Spring/Summer26 show at Paris Fashion Week — The "feathers" were naturally dyed and hand-stitched onto the garments

For the Stella McCartney show, the fronds were coloured in ethereal pastel shades using only natural dyes and hand-stitched onto three different gowns at Mumbai embroidery house Chanakya International.

But for now, the material exists only as a proof of concept and remains too fragile to be used for mass-produced garments.

The Fevvers team is now working on securing the funding for further research and development to improve the durability of the faux feathers while preserving their natural fluffiness.

Feathers have increasingly come under scrutiny in the last two years, with smaller fashion weeks, including Amsterdam, Berlin and Melbourne, choosing to ban plumes taken from wild birds.

However, the main fashion weeks in Paris, New York, Milan and London have so far failed to follow suit.

Other material innovations in this field have seen clothing brand Pangaia fill a puffer jacket with wildflowers instead of duck or goose down.

Stella McCartney has previously presented sustainable material innovations at the COP28 climate conference.

Paris Fashion Week is taking place 29 September to October 7 at venues across the city. See Dezeen Events Guide for an up-to-date list of architecture and design events taking place around the world.

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