Copenhagen Fashion Week Bans Exotic Skins and Feathers

Written by the VEGPRENEUR team

Copenhagen Fashion Week, renowned for its stringent sustainability standards, is fortifying its regulations to reinforce its commitment to eco-conscious fashion. Following the upcoming edition, the event will impose stricter rules, notably by prohibiting the use of exotic skins or feathers in collections beginning next year.

This bold move positions Copenhagen Fashion Week as a leader in the global fashion landscape, aligning with the momentum of similar bans seen in regional fashion weeks like Melbourne, Helsinki, and Stockholm in recent years. Beyond the ban on exotic materials, participating brands will face heightened expectations regarding sustainability practices across their supply chains.

Under the revamped guidelines, brands must showcase a significant portion of their collections crafted from sustainable materials, sourced responsibly, and designed with repairability and recyclability in mind. New Minimum Standards dictate adherence to circular design principles, emphasizing products that can be repaired, recycled, and reused, with a requisite inclusion of recycled content during manufacturing.

Furthermore, brands are mandated to establish concrete criteria ensuring product quality and longevity, as well as educate consumers on the value of durable fashion choices. Notably, customer service personnel, both in-store and online, must undergo thorough training on sustainability strategies to effectively communicate with consumers.

The updated regulations also emphasize actionable steps over mere commitments, particularly in areas such as fashion show production. Brands are required to implement sustainable practices in staging events, including responsible prop usage, eco-friendly packaging, and comprehensive waste management.

Participating brands are expected to have formal sustainability strategies encompassing environmental and social considerations, further solidifying Copenhagen Fashion Week's reputation as a platform dedicated to fostering a more sustainable fashion industry.