Luxury and high street fashion brands are at risk of funding Amazon deforestation because of their links to the leather industry, new research published this week has revealed.

A new report has challenged the commonly-held misconception that wool is one of the most sustainable materials for clothing. According to researchers, the fashion industry is at the heart of steps to reverse our dependence on destructive wool production.

The cruelty of wool isn’t often publicised, and there is little general understanding of why it isn’t vegan. Here, we break down the reality of the industry.

WEEKEND READ: Veganism has spread through the sports world. There are vegan athletes competing professionally in almost every sport you can think of. But it’s not just individual world-famous sports stars for whom veganism is a central part of their sporting lives. A growing number of teams and clubs are populated entirely by vegans.

A recent investigation by the Australian Farm Transparency Project (AFTP) has revealed that Hermes and other fashion houses including Louis Vuitton, Versace, and Gucci, source skins from crocodile factory farms in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Silk has experienced a recent resurgence due to the popularity of silk face masks - but is silk vegan? And how is it cruel to animals? We explain how the fabric is made.

Canada Goose has declared it is to go fur-free by next year in what to many people is a surprise announcement and victory for animal activists. “Our future is fur free,” said the brand whose past is synonymous with the abhorrent use of coyote skin trims on its trendy parka jackets.

Back in 2011, businessman Phil Kerry wanted to open six rabbit farms across England. Thousands of rabbits would have led miserable lives in battery cages before being killed for their flesh and fur. But the public would not stand for it and Kerry ended up revising his plans and has since established several ‘free-range’ farms instead.

Bastion of highstreet horror Canada Goose is planning to open a new flagship store in the Scottish capital, drawing fresh condemnation from animal rights groups for their abhorrent use of coyote fur and goose down in their trendy parka jackets. We take a fresh look at everything wrong about Canada Goose, including their pledge to use ‘reclaimed’ fur from next year.

Silk is synonymous with luxury and the very finest most decadent things in life, from pyjamas to bed sheets. The cost to the silkworms is terrible with thousands boiled, gassed or steamed alive for just half a kilo of silk, but a new video report out from CNN this month has accused the Indian silk industry of being inextricably tied to bonded labour, in other words, modern-day slavery. We take a look at the true cost of silk to both animals and humans.

It’s called ‘sheep freeze branding’ and it’s supposed to be a better, less painful alternative to mulesing, the barbaric act of cutting away the skin on a sheep’s backside with shears to prevent flystrike, always without anaesthesia and in many cases without pain relief. Why are we faced with having to choose between mulesing and freeze branding at all?

We’ve seen a flood of news concerning vegan-friendly alternatives to leather, and not the plastic variety but novel materials made from cacti, mushrooms, mangos and even grapes. Major fashion brands are getting in on it too, so why the sudden interest in animal-free leather and are there any downsides?