Jane Birkin & Hermès: Would the Birkin lose its name?
updated the 4 August 2015 à 15:44After being alerted to the cruelty that crocodiles face in the production of Birkin croc-skin bags, the British actress wants her name removed from the iconic purse.
As one of the luxury fashion industry’s iconic accessory, the Hermès Birkin is seeing a setback from the former supermodel who gave her name to the bag, Jane Birkin.
If you’ve not heard, Jane Birkin is reaching out to Hermès, requesting to remove her name from the coveted croc-skin bags due to the cruel ways in which the reptilian skins are harvested in farms. Animal rights group, PETA essentially brought her attention to the treatment of crocodiles after releasing a video that purported to show how the animals were hammered and skinned in farms in Texas and Zimbabwe.
The British actress said in a statement to Agence France-Presse, “Having been alerted to the cruel practices endured by crocodiles during their slaughter for the production of Hermès bags carrying my name, I have asked the Hermès Group to rename the Birkin until better practices responding to international norms can be implemented for the production of this bag.”
To which, a representative from Hermès responded, “Jane Birkin has expressed her concerns regarding practices for slaughtering crocodiles. Her comments do not in any way influence the friendship and confidence that we have shared for many years. Hermès respects and shares her emotions and was also shocked by the images recently broadcast.”
On the issue of the crocodile farms purporting to belong to Hermès, “An investigation is underway at the Texas farm which was implicated in the video. Any breach of rules will be rectified and sanctioned. Hermès specifies that this farm does not belong to them and that the crocodile skins supplied are not used for the fabrication of Birkin bags.”
And what then created a rather weird change of events was PETA buying a share in the French luxury house on the Paris stock exchange, which was apparently done so as to put pressure on the brand to stop the cultivation of exotic skins.
But for now, all we can do is wait and see how the case will pan out – will Hermès stop producing croc-skin bags and own up to the mistreatment of animals or will the bag simply lose its name?
Tarandip Kaur
Photo: Getty Images
