New York Fashion Week is officially going fur-free. The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced the news on December 3, 2025, in a statement issued alongside Humane World for Animals and Collective Fashion Justice.
The CFDA, which oversees New York Fashion Week, announced it will no longer permit the promotion of animal fur at any official NYFW events, including the main fashion calendar, as well as on its social media channels and website. With this fur-free commitment, NYFW follows in the footsteps of other major international fashion events, including London, Copenhagen, Berlin, Stockholm, and more.
The statement clarifies that the use of animal fur is not permitted in the collections of designers appearing on the official NYFW schedule. The new rule will be implemented from September 2026, coinciding with the spring-summer 2027 season, to allow designers “space to adjust their materials and show plans.” The CFDA will also reportedly offer support for designers during the transition period “to provide resources on alternatives” and will also equip designers with “educational materials” to explore more innovative and sustainable options.
As part of the new rule, farmed or trapped fur from animals killed explicitly for their pelts won’t be allowed. However, there is an exemption for “animal fur obtained by Indigenous communities through traditional subsistence hunting practices.”
“There is already little to no fur 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,” Steven Kolb, CEO and president of the CFDA, said in a statement. “Consumers are moving away from products associated with animal cruelty, and we want to position American fashion as a leader on those fronts, while also driving material innovation.”
Emma Håkansson, founding director of Collective Fashion Justice, added: “The CFDA has further cemented its position as a leading, innovative fashion council on the global stage by formally moving beyond unethical and unsustainable animal fur. At Collective Fashion Justice, we hope Milan and Paris fashion weeks will follow the CFDA and British Fashion Council’s lead, with our support.”
PJ Smith, director of fashion policy at Humane World for Animals, concluded saying that “it’s policies like this that are paving the way for material innovation that will create a cleaner, more humane fashion industry without sacrificing creativity and beauty.”
