Burberry bans the use of exotic skins in future collections
NEWS: Luxury fashion brand Burberry is to stop using exotic animal skins in its future collections building on its previous commitment to go fur-free, its chief operating officer confirmed this week.
Having banned fur and angora in 2018, luxury apparel retailer Burberry has added to its drive to have a more positive impact on the world by scrapping exotic animal skins, Retail Gazette reported on Thursday.
“We remain resolute in our commitment to make a positive difference to people, planet, and communities, and the strong foundations we’ve set underpin our new ambition to be climate positive by 2040,” Burberry chief operating and financial officer Julie Brown said during its Full-Year 2022 results call.
“And as a modern luxury brand, I am pleased to confirm today that we have banned the use of exotics in future collections, building on the commitments we made a number of years ago to go fur-free.”
The move also follows a seven-year-long campaign by PETA, which has long exerted pressure on the major fashion brands to drop animal-derived materials like fur, down and skin.
“During Burberry’s annual meeting last year, PETA UK asked when it would make good on its commitment to be ‘a force for good in the world’ by banning exotic skins, and we’re delighted that after years of pressure from PETA entities around the world, that day is today,” said PETA UK vice president Mimi Bekhechi.
“There is nothing chic about an industry in which alligators are hacked open, pythons are inflated with air compressors, and lizards are decapitated for garments and accessories.”
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PETA had previously purchased shares in Burberry, allowing it to raise the issue of fur and exotic skins in AGMs and other investor meetings.
Burberry joins the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Victoria Beckham, Chanel, and Moda Operandi in their new ban. PETA called on other brands like Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Gucci to follow suit.
Bekhechi added: “The few irresponsible outliers still using exotics, such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Gucci, are not just profiting from the exploitation and slaughter of animals but also playing Russian roulette with public health, given that experts – including the United Nations and the World Health Organisation – have warned that the next pandemic could well come from the fashion industry. The future of fashion is vegan, and those failing to embrace that will be hung out to dry, like yesterday’s laundry.”
The development at Burberry follows a recent investigation by PETA Asia into the industry surrounding exotic skins, which revealed that animals used for handbags and other luxury products were kept in terrible conditions and often subjected to extreme violence.
Andrew Gough is Media and Investigations Manager for Surge.
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