PETA’s 2023 Fashion Awards: From Balenciaga’s Lunaform coat to SMCP’s feather ban

It is that time of year again when the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) reveals the winners of its annual Fashion Awards, through which it looks to recognise “industry trailblazers making fashion kinder to animals and the planet”.

This year, the award for Best Luxury Moment went to Isabel Marant after the brand confirmed that it would be banning fur, angora and exotic skins from its offering, a similar move made by SMCP in regards to down and other feathers, resulting in the French fashion group becoming the recipient of the Best High-Street Fashion Moment.

Balenciaga made the line up again for this period, and was celebrated this time round with the Best Luxury Product award for its fully vegan coat made of plant-based leather Lunaform. Ganni, in the meantime, was named Trendsetter of the Year for its work with plant leather manufacturer Ohoskin and its additional collaboration with Polybion to make a bacteria-based jacket.

Best Vegan Bag went to Gucci for its Demetra Horsebit 1955 and MoEa received Best Vegan Shoe for its plant leather sneakers.

For his string of leather-free belt products, Christian MacLeod won Best Menswear, Bananatex won the Innovation Award and Blue District received the Best Vegan Feathers recognition for its eco-friendly bamboo ostrich feathers.

On another note, Woolmark was this year’s Villain of the Year for PETA, which criticised the brand for its “greenwashing and misleading promotion of wool”.