PETA crashes London Fashion Week with human dressed as a goat crying in pain

Members of the animal rights charity PETA have ambushed the opening of London Fashion Week 2025 in protest over the use of Cashmere in clothing. 

The material is taken from goats in a painful process for the animals, the group says. 

PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk dressed as a goat and re-enacted the process used to collect the cashmere. 

The protest took place outside 180 Studios in the Strand, central London, after demonstrators plotted their action at Peta’s headquarters in north London.

The protest aimed to highlight the fashion industry’s continuing use of cashmere.

Ingrid Newkirk is seen dressed as a goat while fur is ‘harvested’ from her back (Picture: John Dunne/Metro)

Activist Robbie Leblanc mimicked sheering of the goat – aka Ingrid, who a make up artist had given fake wounds such as those suffered – as horrifying audio was played of the actual process involved in the collection of the cashmere, including slashing the animal.

Tourists and commuters looked on as the demonstrators shouted animal rights slogans. 

Ingrid, who lived in Kashmir where the goats used for the material are bred, described the process as ‘painful and horrific’. 

She told Metro her activism was aimed at changing shopping habits. PETA have held numerous protests at London Fashion Week over the years as they seek to highlight the shortcomings of the fashion industry. 

She said: ‘The goats are assaulted every day and no one pays a price for it. 

‘The animals can’t defend themselves. I always think of the animals who I’m dressing as. At least I have a chance to speak for them. 

‘We have had so many successes … we will not stop until people stop acting like cave people covering themselves in animal skins. We will not stop until every animal is out of fashion.’

Previous demonstrations have including Ingrid having naked on Smithfield Market in protests over the condition of pigs when they are bred. 

She added: ‘Goats are like children, full of curiosity and fun. Yet in the cashmere industry they are terrified mutilated and violently slaughtered do their hair can go into jumpers and scarves. Peta urges all fashion brands to stick up for animals by rejecting cruelly obtained cashmere for consumers to choose only luxurious vegan materials that leave goats to graze and play in peace.’

The action disrupted the first full day of London Fashion week, which began on Thursday with the catwalk show for British menswear designer Denzil Patrick. 

London Fashion Week ends on September 23.

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