

Fashion + Animals
This September, in partnership with FOUR PAWS UK, we're looking at how animals have been a source of survival, commodification and inspiration in fashion and how the industry must become kinder.

Animals are essential to sustaining the balance of nature through biodiversity. Whilst we are often in awe of animals, throughout history, they’ve also been a source of survival and arguably exploitation. The earliest use of animals in clothing dates back to prehistoric times where cavemen wore simple outfits made from the hides and skins of animals for protection. In the 21st century and this is still the case for many indigenous tribes worldwide, who live in balance with nature by only using what is needed for survival.
In Westernised fashion systems, animals are both a commodity and source of inspiration across the industry. Natural animal fibres offer benefits like being biodegradable. However, there’s growing concern about the ethics surrounding how such fibres are sourced, highlighted by the anti-fur and vegan fashion movement of recent decades.
From a design perspective, animal prints frequently appear on catwalks and in collections. Leopard print, to zebra, to snakeskin, this trend, noticeably, does not seem to fade and is still ruling the fashion world. Whether for survival, commodification or inspiration, the presence of animals in fashion is as historic as the concept of fashion itself.


- Sep 30, 2021
- 3 min
Are we to Blame for the Ethics Around Fast Fashion?

- Sep 29, 2021
- 4 min
Fear The Fur: The Depiction Of Fur In Fictional Media

- Sep 29, 2021
- 4 min
Animal Print: Is it Reinforcing our Dominance Over Nature?

- Sep 28, 2021
- 3 min
Is synthetic the way forward

- Sep 28, 2021
- 3 min
Indigenous Fashion and Veganism: Why Vegan Activists are Wrong to Target Indigenous Use of Animals

- Sep 28, 2021
- 3 min
Biomimicry: Where Aesthetics Meets Science

- Sep 27, 2021
- 3 min
From Fashion in Fish to Fish in Fashion

- Sep 27, 2021
- 4 min
Leather, Fur & a Lot of History. The problem with Animal-Fashion.

- Sep 24, 2021
- 4 min
Animal-Free Alternatives to Leather: How do they Compare?

- Sep 24, 2021
- 3 min
The Influence of Animal Print

- Sep 24, 2021
- 3 min
The Fur Debate: Canada Goose's New Fur Commitment

- Sep 23, 2021
- 3 min
Cows Skinned Alive for Leather - Is That Blood on Your Shoes?

- Sep 23, 2021
- 4 min
The Butterfly Effect: Biomimicry & Sustainability

- Sep 22, 2021
- 4 min
Veganism in Vogue: The Rise of Animal-Free Fashion

- Sep 22, 2021
- 3 min
The Claws Are Out! Explore Wildlife Inspired Fashion

- Sep 22, 2021
- 3 min
Do You Love Animals? Then Quit Fast Fashion

- Sep 21, 2021
- 4 min
Controversy surrounding the famous "Fur Issue"...

- Sep 21, 2021
- 3 min
Lessons from Nature: How Biomimicry Can Reduce Fashion's Ecological Footprint

- Sep 21, 2021
- 3 min
The Bloody Jungle That is Animal Fashion

- Sep 20, 2021
- 4 min
The Torturous Timeline of Animals Used as Fabric

- Sep 20, 2021
- 3 min
Animals - The Impact and Influence Towards Fashion

- Sep 20, 2021
- 4 min
Tanneries: The Reality Of Animal (Mis)Treatment

- Sep 17, 2021
- 3 min
Is Faux Fashion Completely Better than Traditional?

- Sep 17, 2021
- 4 min
Rethinking Designer: Has Hermes Reached the End of Its Exotic Skin Era

- Sep 16, 2021
- 4 min
The Evolution of Fashion's Most Powerful Print

- Sep 16, 2021
- 4 min
Man’s Best Friend or the Internet’s New Fashion Exploitation?

- Sep 16, 2021
- 4 min
Superpower Skins: Ancient Animal Mysticism in Clothing & Stories

- Sep 15, 2021
- 3 min
Animals: From an Essential for Life to Being Slaughtered for Fashion

- Sep 15, 2021
- 3 min
Why Fur May Be More Ethical Than Faux Fur

- Sep 15, 2021
- 4 min
Belly of the Beast: The Leopard's Legacy

- Sep 14, 2021
- 4 min
From cavemen to catwalk: The ever-changing spots of leopard print fashion

- Sep 14, 2021
- 2 min
How Animal Skins Are Used for Fashion

- Sep 14, 2021
- 3 min
Reflecting on the Use of Animals in Fashion

- Sep 13, 2021
- 3 min
Outlining the Evolution of Leopard Print

- Sep 13, 2021
- 4 min
The Environmental Impact of Animal Products in Fashion

- Sep 13, 2021
- 3 min
Is Vegan Leather Really More Sustainable?

- Sep 10, 2021
- 3 min
Fur in fashion - why we should save our furry friends and stop buying their coats

- Sep 10, 2021
- 3 min
A History Of Animal Prints in Fashion

- Sep 10, 2021
- 3 min
The Life Cycle of Animal Print That Never Dies

- Sep 9, 2021
- 3 min
Pets: Celebrity Accessories

- Sep 9, 2021
- 3 min
How a Digital Dress Is Helping to Save Your Favourite Animal
