Sandro, Maje, and Other SMCP Brands Ditch Feathers, Including Down!
After banning fur and exotic skins, French fashion group SMCP has now confirmed to PETA France that it will ban items made of down and other feathers by the autumn/winter 2023 season.
This is a welcome commitment on the part of the group, whose famous brands – Sandro, Maje, Claudie Pierlot, and Fursac – have 1,684 stores in 43 countries.
In an e-mail to PETA France, a representative from SMPC said the group was committed to having “completely removed duck and goose feathers across its four brands by the autumn/winter 2023 season”. It explained that for several seasons, it had been making the shift towards materials that would enable it, among other things, to replace down and other feathers across all its brands.
What’s Wrong With Down and Other Feathers?
PETA has released exposés of the down industry, which reveal rampant abuse around the world, including on farms that supply to brands certified under the Responsible Down Standard. An undercover investigation into farms in Russia showed geese being beheaded with a blunt axe while they were fully conscious. The birds could be seen still moving while they were bleeding out.
At duck farms and abattoirs in Vietnam connected to companies that sell “responsible” down – including Marks & Spencer, H&M, UNIQLO, Gap Inc, Lacoste, and dozens of others – ducks were stabbed in the neck and their legs were cut off.
Live-plucking – tearing feathers from birds’ bodies while they are still alive – is also common in the industry, despite assurances and “humane” certifications.
Animal-Friendly 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.
How You Can Help Ducks and Geese
We’re celebrating SMCP’s move and calling on other brands to follow suit. Join us in urging companies such as Marks & Spencer, H&M, Gap Inc, and others to cut ties with the cruel down industry:
