They are gorgeous, command attention and have the potential to make anything stand out. Is it any wonder then that the fashion industry is going ga-ga over the use of peacock feathers, be it on embellishments or skirts and even hats?

These feathers are making their mark internationally as well. In September, Miuccia Prada unveiled her Spring-Summer collection in Milan, boasting of a liberal use of peacock feathers. A month later, New Zealand-based design-house Sabatini unveiled peacock ponchos.

Closer home, designer Shantanu Goenka's Krishna-inspired collection used peacock feathers rather liberally in the headgear while Aashima-Leena Singh's Krishna-inspired wedding trousseau collection also had peacock embroidery.

Conservationists argue that it is also a trend that, if continued for long, will affect the peacock population. Explaining the popularity of the peacock's feathers, Leena Singh says, "Using the feathers adds a strong Indian element to the design."

Although it is illegal to export peacock feathers, they are being sent abroad in the shape of handicrafts like hand fans and once there, they are dismantled.

Ambika Shukla of People For Animals, says, "The process of extracting feathers from the birds is not just cruel but also illegal. And the fact that it is for something as frivolous as fashion makes it inhuman. The bird population is decimating fast."  

(http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com)