Karl Lagerfeld Bans Exotic Skins Following PETA US Approach
After hearing from PETA US – and as wildlife experts warn that the trade in snake, crocodile, and other exotic-animal skins could fuel the spread of diseases like COVID-19 – Karl Lagerfeld has banned the use of exotic skins.
The label banned fur last year following communications with PETA US. Prior to his death, Lagerfeld himself was creative director at Chanel, which banned fur and exotic skins in 2018.
Could Your Wardrobe Cause the Next Pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic is believed to have originated in a Chinese wet market where wild animals, both dead and alive, were sold for consumption. Many such markets are still operating.
The intensive farming of wild animals for their skin and flesh results in animal-to-human transmission of newly evolved viruses. Experts warn that exotic-animal farms are breeding grounds for pathogens, increasing the risk of future pandemics.
The Cruelty Behind Exotic-Skin Wallets
PETA US sent Karl Lagerfeld the findings of its undercover investigations into the exotic-skins industry. Behind every handbag or wallet made with exotic skins is an animal who suffered tremendously.
Alligators are kept in fetid water inside dank, dark sheds before their necks are hacked open and metal rods are shoved into their heads in an attempt to scramble their brains, often while they’re fully conscious.
One-year-old ostriches are transported by lorry to abattoirs, where workers turn them upside down in a stunner, slit their throats, and rip their feathers out.
And snakes are commonly nailed to trees before their bodies are cut open from one end to the other as they’re skinned alive.
Don’t Let the Next Global Crisis Come From a Catwalk
Karl Lagerfeld’s business-savvy step to discontinue the use of skins stolen from wild animals is a sign of the times. The brand now joins Mulberry, Diane von Furstenberg, Paul Smith, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, and many others in banning exotic skins.
Join PETA in calling on LVMH, which owns Louis Vuitton, to stop selling items made with exotic skins, too.
