Exclusive: Stella McCartney, Maison Margiela and Ganni takeover PETA’s 2025 Fashion Awards

As the year draws to a close, a growing awareness of animal welfare is continually shifting industry practices regarding their use. In recognition of this momentum, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is reflecting on the past period and acknowledging those who are leading the charge for change through its annual PETA Fashion Awards.

“From feather-free feathers to the softest, most luxurious plant wools, cruelty-free fashion is better than ever,” PETA’s vice president of corporate projects, Yvonne Taylor, emphasised in a statement to FashionUnited. “Our Fashion Awards show that compassion never goes out of style – and we hope our winners pave the way for a kinder era of fashion.”

For the awards’ 2025 edition, Stella McCartney, a long-time PETA favourite, swooped up the Best Luxury Moment award, once again claiming a top spot. The British designer earned this recognition for her incorporation of plant-based feathers, made by UK-based Fevvers, into her Paris Fashion Week show.

‘Cruelty-free fashion is better than ever…’

In fact, many of this year’s PETA honourees were recognised specifically for their commitment to animal-free alternatives, with several awards celebrating the use of innovative vegan materials. Maison Margiela, for example, was awarded Best Vegan Knitwear for the brand’s ongoing use of animal-friendly hemp, while Ganni was given the Best Vegan Leather Collection award for its line featuring olive-derived leather, Oleatex. The Most Wanted Award went to French brand Coperni for its popular cactus leather biker jacket. Finally, Vivobarefoot received Best Vegan Shoes for its Gobi sneakers, which are made from a mushroom-derived material.

A slew of manufacturers were also highlighted for their innovations in the way of animal-friendly textile production. The Innovation Award went to Caxacori for its Shiringa Bio-Leather, while Tandem Repeat received the Best Plant Wool award for its beer-waste yarn. The winner of Best Vegan Bags was revealed to be Alma New York, which creates bags from Banofi banana leather.

Other categories reflected wider industry shifts. Amsterdam Fashion Week was highlighted for its decision to ban wild-animal skins and wild feathers from its programme, garnering it the Best Catwalk Moment prize. Similarly, Ba&sh was named the recipient of the Best High Street Moment award for joining PETA’s Feather-Free Pledge. Actress Cate Blanchett was this year’s recipient of the Red Carpet Award for her continued support of animal-free designs.