2026 Met Gala red carpet: costume art or animal cruelty?
News
From Anna Wintour to Lena Dunham, feathered looks dominated the Met Gala 2026 red carpet.
Image credit: Xeniia X / Shutterstock
The sheer volume of feather plumage featured on outfits at the event begs the question: are feathers the "new" fur?
Every year, ostriches are exploited and violently slaughtered so fashion brands can profit from their feathers, despite the availability of humane, innovative alternatives.
The sheer volume of plumage on display at the 2026 Met Gala highlights how far the industry still has to go.
With its global spotlight, the Met Gala could have been a moment for leaders like Anna Wintour to champion a wildlife-friendly future for fashion.
Instead, it served as a reminder that animal cruelty is still being dressed up as high fashion.
The sheer volume of feathered outfits at the 2026 Met Gala red carpet raises a serious question around how these feathers are sourced and what's happening to the birds providing them?
In reality, ostrich feathers used in luxury fashion come from birds who routinely endure feather ‘harvesting’ with documented cases of feathers being ripped out while the animals are still alive. It’s a process that is both painful and distressing.
Too often, animals like ostriches pay the price for fashion. It’s time for luxury brands to end the glamorisation of cruelty and move to cruelty-free alternatives.
The ostrich feather industry is known to practice the cruel ‘live plucking’ method, as it considers feathers derived from this process to be of the highest quality.
During this process, workers often place hooded bags over an ostrich’s head to subdue the animal. This is done to decrease injury risks for the workers as they rip the animal’s feathers from his or her body.
It’s time to put an end to animal cruelty in the fashion industry and move towards humane materials that are available today.
To learn more, please read our report, ‘Feathers are the New fur: Cruelty in Disguise’ and take the pledge to never purchase feather garments or accessories today.
Together, we can create a wildlife-friendly future for fashion.
End fashion cruelty
Pledge to not purchase, wear or promote any wild animal skins, feathers, or wild animal fur products.
Donate to protect animals
Magnificent ostriches farmed for their feathers are trapped inside barren yards, left hungry and exhausted.