Jun10
PETA to Hermes: Leather Isn't a 'Luxury'
Posted at 05:36 PM | Permalink
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Comments (13)
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How many crocodiles does it take to make a leather bag?
It sounds like the start of a really bad joke, but in a recent article, the chief executive for the French "luxury" goods group Hermes said, "It can take three to four crocodiles to make one of our bags so we are now breeding our own crocodiles on our own farms, mainly in Australia." (emphasis added)
He then quipped, "The world is not full of crocodiles, except the stock exchange!"
Oh, ho ho, funny guy. If you weren't ripping their skins off—sometimes while they are still alive and able to call out in distress—and turning them into overpriced purses, there would probably be plenty of crocodiles running around.
They did outlive the dinosaurs, after all, so my guess is that their survival instincts are pretty acute.
Here's what PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews had to say:
The thought of purposely breeding and killing crocodiles for an outdated, overpriced handbag should make any fashionista's skin crawl. If Hermes really wants to be a leader in the fashion industry, it should stop killing animals for cold-blooded vanity and use cruelty-free mock croc and fake snake instead. As Pink—who recently provided the voice of a computer-generated crocodile in PETA's "Stolen for Fashion" commercial—says, "Killing animals for their skins is so disgusting that it doesn't make me want to befriend designers who use them."
So how about this: Instead of breeding reptiles for fashion faux pas, watch "Stolen for Fashion," then pull a switcharoo and start using stylish synthetics instead.
Posted by Shawna Flavell
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Comments
Leather is such a major ethical issue because even many animal lovers and vegetarians still think that good leather free products (especially shoes) are not available.
Posted by: Brien Comerford | June 10, 2009 09:11 PM
Hi.
How about asking PETA supporters to send Hermés a message/complaint through their website...I just did.
Posted by: ela | June 10, 2009 09:20 PM
This makes me so msick to my stomach. When I see people wearing alligator skin I want to kick their a**, now maybe I might go ahead and do that.
Posted by: Brittany Valdes-Pages | June 10, 2009 11:07 PM
Honestly this is so disgusting. We all know that some of these celebrities just don't give a stuff. Someone needs to take them where they kill these poor creatures maybe this might knock some sense into them or take something that's so precious to them and sell it to a homeless person & give away their millions to people who really need it. Not just people who squander their riches on worthless vanity crap.
Posted by: Nia | June 11, 2009 03:04 AM
It would be very nice indeed if at least one major fashion designer would start at least offering some alternatives to leathers and exotic skins. As a man who does not always want to dress like I am about to hike into the Colorado Rockies and munch granola, or go skateboarding with the 17-year-olds, shopping for shoes and bags can be exceedingly frustrating, and I always end up compromising on style. Come on, somebody--ANYBODY--make a pair of vegan shoes that a professional 35-year-old man can wear without shame!
Posted by: Jeremy | June 11, 2009 09:39 AM
Are real criminals those who sell leather bags such as those who buy them. Greetings.
Posted by: Tadeo Kosma M. | June 11, 2009 09:54 AM
This is really disturbing news. I've sent Hermes an e-mail asking them to switch to faux leather. Seems like that would be a lot easier than breeding and killing crocodiles!
Posted by: Karen | June 11, 2009 12:28 PM
Working in an upholstery shop I know there are so many alternatives to wearing or dressing up your funiture/car in skins that belonged to someone eles that look and feel like them but without all the pain and suffering like lizard, armadillo, snake, bison, steer, ostrich all from man-made material usually 75% PVC 25% cotton/polyester. In this day and age anyone considering buying roting flesh should reconsider, the alternatives are endless.
Posted by: Carla | June 11, 2009 01:19 PM
Nia,
I understand the taking them to a place where they're slaughtered to knocking sense into them to not use animals for this stuff, but to suggest "tak[ing] something that's so precious to them and sell it to a homeless person & give away their millions to people who really need it" would be condoning theft.
I would hope that PETA would not condone a true criminal offense to tout their cause - though then again, in the United States public nudity is an offense, and it's still done by some activists for the shock value.
(BTW, I do agree with you on crocodiles not being killed for fashion - just the fact that you are mentioning committing a crime).
Posted by: Mel | June 11, 2009 01:49 PM
I think it's time for a formal boycott of Hermés until they decide to stop breeding crocodiles and using exotic skins in their products.
Posted by: shannon | June 12, 2009 11:56 AM
Hey, I do fashion textiles at college, and currently researching the Hermes Company. I have been appalled by what I’ve seen and read. These stomach churning acts are heartless. But, what are the other alternative of slaughtering animal because stopping the deaths are unstoppable.
Posted by: William | June 12, 2009 12:37 PM
You know the closer I look at "luxory", fashion, etc. the uglier it gets. This was a corporate decision. There was a consensus that this is ok. My goodness, people can be creepy. I would say that I intend to boycott them, but I'm not in that financial bracket. They should be ashamed. And their customers should be ashamed.
Posted by: Josette | June 14, 2009 01:08 AM
Ela your an idiot and should be jailed if you assault anyone. You give vegs a bad name. If more vegans simply starting using buying power--which speaks the loudest designers will listen. What will make an established fashion house change their formula for people who end up going to purchase PVC sweatshop items from
payless that are not biodegradable. Designers make billions a year. Are you contributing to their market? Look at want happens to animal friendly designers....they close down. So if everyone stop with the scare tactics the world would be a better place. Peace
Posted by: Whistler | June 19, 2009 01:56 AM