Cruelty Free Feathers- A New Era for Plumage in Fashion

I once was a Mardi Gras Costume Artist. 

Then one day I discovered what they do to the ostriches that my beloved ostrich plumage comes from.

They pluck them alive. I can only imagine the pain and can’t even describe the harm it causes those birds. I saw a video and I cried. It was removed from youtube soon after. To other birds, they hack off their backs and throw the rest away. No consciousness about using all of its parts or the harm being caused.

I had always thought that the feathers were collected once the birds molted. I was as naïve as most everyone else still is. I quit using manufactured feathers at that point and sought alternatives. This was in 2006. There were no alternatives. So I started the Feather Drop, an organization for the collection of cruelty-free feathers. 

And now I use only naturally molted feathers in my work. Even today the Feather Drop is still only one of a few very small businesses that collect cruelty-free feathers. I give them away mostly.

And I have discovered a few other artists who also use naturally molted feathers.

Artist Ka Amorastreya Serpentfeathers

Artist Lora Lee Rose

Artist Nicole Tierra Lobo- 

with feathers collected by the Feather Drop

Just so you know, no US native bird feathers are ever used. It is a crime to own these types of bird feathers. Only turkey and pheasant are legal to possess. 

And only a card-carrying Native American can own eagle or hawk feathers for use in ceremony and anyone caught without proper paperwork can be fined up to $10,000 for a single feather.

For many years the fashion industry killed and collected bird parts for use on hats. Feathers from songbirds or raptors such as owls and hawks were the norm in the fashion of the day.   

Some feathers became so valuable (such as those of the Florida Roseate Spoonbill which has pink feathers) that they were literally worth more than gold. But once the realization hit that these birds were going extinct, the practice was finally made illegal.  

In any EnRapturing Entertainment event, we strive to educate the public about the cruelty-free feather movement. Most of the feathers are acquired from pet care-givers and rescue organizations. Many are from exotic birds- such as peacocks, cockatoo, and parrots.

Here are a few examples of the headdresses that I have made with cruelty-free feathers. 

If you would like to help support this cause by donating feathers or funding or are interested in receiving feathers, please contact us through the Feather Drop Facebook page.

We take all sizes and condition of feathers. We donate native bird feathers to our Native Americans friends. 

Let's work together to can change the lives of inhumanely treated birds and the face of fashion.