The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which operates the official New York Fashion Week (NYFW) schedule, has made a landmark announcement that will reshape the American fashion landscape.
As a result of years of collaborative engagement with animal advocacy groups, the CFDA will stop promoting animal fur across all its official channels, including its website and social media.
The most impactful change, however, is yet to come. From September 2026, the CFDA will no longer permit the inclusion of animal fur in collections featured on the Official NYFW Schedule.
Animal rights organisations have been quick to praise the decision. Emma Håkansson, founding director of Collective Fashion Justice, stated that the CFDA has “further cemented its position as a leading, innovative fashion council on the global stage by formally moving beyond unethical and unsustainable animal fur.”
In a statement sent to Vegan Food & Living, PETA’s President for Europe Mimi Bekhechi celebrated the news, telling us: “PETA’s vegan hats are being flung into the air.”
She went on to praise the organisation for “finally banning the horror of animal fur from the catwalk,” as “almost every single big name in fashion has condemned this violent industry after learning that it meant torture for animals no different from our beloved cats and dogs.”
She then turned attention those who have not yet followed suit: “All eyes are now on the ugly outliers, Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, which seem mean, outdated, and irrelevant.”
Why New York Fashion Week is saying no to animal fur
The CFDA’s move follows a global trend set by numerous fashion events, including London Fashion Week, which ceased promoting fur in 2023, along with fashion weeks in Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Melbourne. Media giants have also taken a stance, with Condé Nast (owner of Vogue and Vanity Fair) banning animal fur in editorial and advertising content earlier this year.
New York Fashion Week’s ban specifically targets farmed or trapped fur from animals killed for their pelts, such as mink, fox, chinchilla, and raccoon dog. However, an exemption applies to animal fur obtained by Indigenous communities through traditional subsistence hunting practices.
Steven Kolb, CEO and president of the CFDA, explained that while there is “already little to no fur shown at NYFW,” this official position is intended to be inspirational.
“By taking this position, the CFDA hopes to inspire American designers to think more deeply about the fashion industry’s impact on animals,” he said. He added that the goal is to position American fashion as a leader in material innovation while responding to consumers who are “moving away from products associated with animal cruelty.”
Is leather still allowed at New York Fashion Week?
The CFDA has committed to supporting designers during this transition by providing educational materials and material libraries to encourage the exploration of more innovative and sustainable materials. However, while fur is now firmly on the way out, the issue of animal leather and exotic skins persists on the NYFW runway.
Animal advocates continue to stage high-profile protests to keep the issue firmly in the spotlight. In February 2025, PETA reported on its supporters’ activities during the previous season’s NYFW. Protesters stormed shows by Coach and Michael Kors, holding signs bearing statements like “Leather Kills” and “Turn Your Back on Leather,” yelling out their messages even as security tried to stop them.
The protests extended beyond the physical realm. Charli XC Cow, PETA’s AI-powered robot calf, engaged with passersby outside the Starrett-Lehigh Building, encouraging the fashion industry to “Moo-ve to Vegan Leather.”
PETA is urging the CFDA to expand its ethical policy to include exotic skins, pointing out that other major fashion weeks already restrict both fur and wildlife skins. The ongoing pressure highlights the need for designers to embrace next-generation, cruelty-free alternatives.
Sustainable vegan leather made from apples, cork, corn, grapes, mushrooms, paper, and pineapples creates the same look without harming animals or the environment, suggesting the battle for a completely animal-free catwalk is far from over.
Worried synthetic alternatives aren’t sustainable? Find out if faux fur is better for the environment
Featured photo © Nick Starichenko/Adobe Stock