Warning: The video in this post is extremely graphic.
After learning how animals used to make Hermès bags are treated, Jane Birkin, the British singer and actress best known for having a bag from the French luxury label named after her, is asking that the company remove her name from the line.
The bag, which is arguably one of the world's most coveted and expensive, ranges in price from $10,500 to $150,000, and is created with ostrich, lizard, calf and crocodile skins.
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"Having been alerted to the cruel practices reserved for crocodiles during their slaughter to make Hermès handbags carrying my name ... I have asked Hermès to debaptise the Birkin Croco until better practices in line with international norms can be put in place," Birkin said in a statement to Agence France-Presse.
Animal rights organization PETA applauded the request.
"PETA, on behalf of all kind souls in the world, thanks Ms Birkin for ending her association with Hermès, which makes grotesque handbags that were revealed in a PETA exposé to be constructed from the skins of factory-farmed and cruelly slaughtered crocodiles," said Ingrid Newkirk, founder of the organization. "We call on Hermès to stop plundering wildlife, factory-farming crocodiles and alligators and slaughtering them for their skins. Once, Birkin bags marked people as celebrities or at least members of the super-rich, but soon, no one will want to be caught dead carrying one, and animal advocates will then breathe a sigh of relief."
Crocodiles are rarely caught in the wild to make bags, as they usually have scars on their underbellies. This makes for imperfect bags, which is why Hermès has farms around the world from Texas to Zimbabwe to ensure crocodiles live in controlled environments.
Jane Birkin has reportedly requested @Hermes to change the name of the crocodile #Birkin bag due to cruel practices in obtaining the skins... but what about the baby calves, cows, lizards, ostrich and goats? Are they any less precious than crocodiles? I feel it discriminatory to fight for one animal and not the others. She should give up her namesake bag in ALL skins if her crusade is sincere. What do you think? (Disclosure: I am not giving up eating meat nor wearing leather/skins but merely pointing out the hypocrisy in her request) A photo posted by Bag Snob (@bagsnob) on Jul 28, 2015 at 3:33pm PDT
A month ago, PETA published a 6-minute video of a farm where crocodiles were packed into concrete pits and pools. The gruesome footage shows the animals climbing on top of each other due to lack of space and being skinned alive. Another portion of the video shows crocodiles' brains being pithed while they wriggle around.
#JaneBirkin has asked #Hermès to change the name of the #BirkinBag! She has requested a rename for any models coming in crocodile until changes are initiated. "Alerted to the cruel practices reserved for crocodiles during their killing for the production or Hermès bags carrying my name, as a signatory of Joaquin Phoenix's 'Mercy for Animals' petitions protesting all the bad treatment of animals, I have asked the Maison Hermès to rename the Birkin Croco until best practices responding to international norms can be out in place for the bag's fabrication," said Jane #Birkin. Hermès has yet to respond but what do you think? A photo posted by Cameron Silver (@camerondecades) on Jul 28, 2015 at 3:05pm PDT
A Hermès of Paris spokesperson said the brand was aware of the situation and would look into the matter.
"Jane Birkin has expressed her concerns regarding practices for slaughtering crocodiles," said the spokesperson. "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. 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."