As designers use fake varieties, CFDA announces fur ban for NYFW

The resurgence of fur in the 1990s and 2000s was reflected on runways like New York Fashion Week (NYFW), but as opposition to its use has grown and that use has declined, it is turning its back on the material and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has banned it for the future.

The 'skin' seen on New York catwalks in recent seasons has largely been fake, like that of Michael Kors (above). But you still see the real thing. However, starting in September 2026, the CFDA will no longer allow animal skins in official NYFW calendar collections. He said this schedule “gives designers room to adjust their materials and show plans.”

The CFDA owns and organizes the NYFW fashion calendar and has also said it will “no longer promote animal fur at any event on the official NYFW calendar.” The announcement was made in collaboration with Humane World for Animals and Collective Fashion Justice and came after “years of engagement” with the groups.

Farmed or trapped pelts from animals slaughtered specifically for their pelts, including but not limited to mink, fox, rabbits, karakul lambs, chinchillas, coyotes, and raccoon dogs, are not permitted. An exemption applies only to animal skins obtained by indigenous communities through traditional subsistence hunting practices.

The CFDA also said it will support designers during this transition and will continue to provide resources on alternatives.

And it is “committed to providing educational materials and a library of materials so that [designers] “We can explore more innovative and sustainable materials.”

The move aligns it with London Fashion Week, which ended its fur promotion in 2023, as well as events in Copenhagen, Berlin, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Helsinki and Melbourne. And this comes after Vogue publisher Condé Nast recently banned animal fur in editorial content or advertising. Elle and InStyle had done the same before.

CFDA head Steven Kolb noted that “little to no fur is already shown at NYFW, but by taking this position, the CFDA hopes to inspire American designers to think more deeply about the fashion industry's impact on animals. Consumers are moving away from products associated with animal cruelty, and we want to position American fashion as a leader on those fronts, while driving material innovation.”