Animal Welfare in Fashion 2026: Down Could Follow Fur Into Decline, New Report Finds

Animal welfare is increasingly becoming a strategic priority across the global fashion industry, according to global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS' newly released Animal Welfare in Fashion Report 2026. Assessing 332 fashion brands through the Wear It Kind Directory, the report reveals significant progress in banning fur (82%), consistently strong commitments to certified live lamb cutting-free wool sourcing (64%), and a notable shift away from virgin down (14%). Yet despite these advances, the industry still has a long way to go to adequately safeguard the welfare of an estimated five billion animals used in textile supply chains each year. One of the industry's most significant gaps remains, being its limited commitment to reducing animal-derived materials, with less than one out of ten assessed brands (8%) committed to proactively reducing use.

Down could follow fur into decline

The strongest and most established trend identified is the continued decline of fur in fashion. More than four in five (82%) of the assessed brands proactively communicate fur-free policies or participate in the Fur Free Retailer Program, confirming that fur is increasingly becoming irrelevant in mainstream fashion. Today, its use remains concentrated largely within the luxury segment. Down now appears to be the industry's next major transition. More than one third (35%) of all positive changes in the category resulted from brands either switching exclusively from virgin down to recycled down (6%) or eliminating the material altogether (29%). It is striking that this trend is not limited to a single segment, but rather represents a development affecting the entire industry, from premium brand Ganni to high-street brands of the H&M Group. Progress is also evident in wool sourcing. Twenty per cent of brands have already achieved fully certified live lamb cut-free wool supply chains, compared to just 13% in 2024. Major brands including Adidas, Lacoste and Fjällräven reached this milestone during the past two years.

The best and worst performing brands in 2026

Among the highest-rated brands are Stella McCartney, Kings of Indigo, Napapijri, C&A, Tchibo and NIKIN, all of which demonstrate strong performance across multiple animal welfare categories. At the other end of the spectrum, Dior, Fendi and Louis Vuitton remain among the worst-rated brands due to their continued association with fur and the absence of public commitments to permanently end their use.

Several other brands were also identified as lagging behind industry expectations due to insufficient transparency and limited action on key animal welfare risks.

“Robust certification schemes can play an important role in improving traceability, transparency and animal welfare standards across the fashion industry. However, certifications vary in their value and ultimately can never eliminate welfare risks entirely. In the down sector, for example, audits of breeding parent farms for ducks and geese are not always mandatory, leaving a potential welfare blind spot at the very start of the supply chain. We call on brands to go beyond certification, and also work to directly engage with producers in their supply chains, reduce their reliance on animal-derived materials, invest in innovative alternatives and transparently report their progress. Ultimately, animal-free fashion will always be the most animal-friendly kind of fashion,” concludes Medcalf.

Recommendations for fashion brands

The Directory findings highlight clear opportunities for the fashion industry to accelerate animal welfare progress in the years ahead. Priorities include expanding the availability and uptake of certified live lamb cut-free wool to meet 2030 commitments, reducing reliance on down in favour of recycled and animal-free alternatives, and strengthening transparency around animal-derived material sourcing. Brands should also look beyond certification by supporting stronger welfare standards and helping producers exceed minimum requirements. Finally, setting targets to reduce the overall use of animal-derived materials can drive meaningful improvements for animal welfare while supporting broader sustainability and emissions-reduction goals.

Methodology for the report: The Wear it Kind Brand Directory

The Wear It Kind Directory is FOUR PAWS’ global benchmark for evaluating fashion brands on four key animal welfare issues: the avoidance of live lamb cutting (mulesing), live plucking in down production, fur use, and the reduction of animal-derived materials. Designed both as a roadmap for brands and a consumer-facing database, the Directory helps identify companies that are taking meaningful action to improve animal welfare. Assessments are based exclusively on publicly available information, including corporate policies, sustainability reports, product descriptions, and external verification schemes such as the Fur Free Retailer Program. Brands are rated in each category using a transparent colour-coded system ranging from green (leading performance) to red (poor performance).

Background

Every year, an estimated five billion animals are at risk of suffering for the fashion industry, including sheep, raccoon dogs, foxes, mink, geese, ducks, cattle, rabbits, goats, reptiles and alpacas. FOUR PAWS' Wear It Kind campaign seeks to expose these welfare risks and encourage a future where fashion no longer comes at the expense of animal welfare. The organisation advocates for stronger animal welfare standards, greater supply chain transparency and increased adoption of innovative material alternatives.

FOUR PAWS first launched its Animal Welfare in Fashion Report in 2019 and introduced the Wear It Kind Directory in 2024 to provide consumers and industry stakeholders with a global benchmark on animal welfare performance in fashion. The 2026 edition expands the assessment to 332 brands and offers the most comprehensive analysis of animal welfare progress in the sector to date.