Lifestyle Beauty & Style Celebrity Fashion Stella McCartney Stages Anti-Fur Protest with Animal Models at Paris Fashion Week Show The designer has been a driving force behind banishing animal cruelty in the fashion industry By Alyssa Kelly Alyssa Kelly Alyssa Kelly is a New York-based writer and editor who specializes in fashion, beauty, celebrity, lifestyle, and culture. People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 2, 2020 11:40AM EST Cows, zebras and bunnies … oh my! These animals were represented at Paris Fashion Week on Monday thanks to Stella McCartney. The designer used her latest show as an opportunity to make a statement about fur usage in fashion. The fashion designer sent models in animal costumes down the runway during the showing of her winter 2020 collection. Prior to the show, McCartney had been posting cartoon videos on her Instagram with different animal characters, all of which criticized the use of animal fur or skin for fashion goods. Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho/Getty As mentioned in one of the videos, the Stella McCartney brand has openly stated that it has not incorporated leathers, feathers, or furs in its designs since 2001. “[And] a fur coat has a much higher impact on the environment than a fake-fur one for many, many reasons,” said McCartney in a 2019 interview with Vogue. “One is animal cruelty, which no one seems to care about or want to talk about, but in my mind, that’s an important part of the conversation.” Last season, to bring attention to these issues, McCartney held a talk with other fashion insiders about the place of sustainability in fashion the evening prior to her show. According to the company, 75% of that season’s collection was made up of environmentally conscious materials. Taylor Swift Gives a First Look at Her Stella McCartney Collab: ‘It’s Been So Much Fun to Dream Up’ Last year, McCartney worked with Taylor Swift on a dreamy collection of apparel to promote the singer’s album Lover. The collection was available at the Lover Pop-Up Shop in N.Y.C. In previous years, the designer has collaborated with other brands or celebrities for fashion or accessory lines with eco-friendly products. She has worked with Adidas twice, creating two different vegan pairs of the popular Stan Smiths.