A Top Message From Topshop: Keep Wildlife out of Your Wardrobe

Not content with simply keeping fur and exotic skins out of their stores, Topshop has gone the extra mile by dedicating a whole window display in its flagship Oxford Street store to spreading the message that exotic skins belong in the wild, not in your wardrobe! The high-street fashion leader (and recent Vegan Fashion Award winner) has teamed up with PETA to create the eye-catching display to remind people that snakes, alligators and other animals suffer unimaginably for their skins. And at the same time, it’s celebrating ethical fashion. After all, why wear an item that an animal bled and died for when there are so many chic, cruelty-free alternatives available?

In the exotic-skins industry, snakes are commonly nailed to trees and skinned alive, and alligators and lizards are bludgeoned with hammers. It often takes several agonising hours for the animals to die, usually from shock or dehydration. Watch this shocking exposé narrated by Joaquin Phoenix to learn more about the suffering that lies behind those snakeskin shoes or that alligator handbag. Reptiles may be cold-blooded, but they experience pain just the same way that we do – so wearing their skins is just plain cold-hearted. This isn’t the first time that Topshop has joined forces with PETA to show its opposition to cruel fashion, and we’re sure it won’t be the last! So please follow Topshop’s lead and that of countless other ethical companies, designers and fashion icons – pledge to keep wildlife out of your wardrobe: