3 min read
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room—the vintage Hermès Elephant skin bag that sparked outrage and left luxury fashion lovers reeling. Does Hermès still use elephant skin? Let’s explore the scandalous history of the controversial elephant leather bag and who the brand kills to make handbags.
Never Forget the Hermès Elephant Leather Birkin Bags
WhileHermès never officially sold elephant leather bags, the fashion brand did make a series of bags from the skin of an elephant who was allegedly shot and killed on a safari in the 1980s.
Elephants, like the one killed for elephant leather Birkin and Kelly bags, are highly social animals who form close bonds with their families and mourn the death of their loved ones. In their natural homes, elephants spend their days socializing, swimming, browsing, and playing.
Public Outrage at Elephant Skin Bags Should Make You Think
When images of the elephant leather bag surfaced, social media erupted. Commenters were quick to express their disgust at the elephant leather bag, sharing things like “Who sees this and thinks it’s a fashion statement to wear the skin of an elephant as an accessory?” and “…I’m definitely with PETA on [this] one.”
The Cost of an Hermès Birkin Bag
A Birkin bag can cost anywhere from about $10,000 to $2 million—and all of them cost animals their lives. Hermès makes most Kelly and Birkin bags from the skin of two to three crocodiles and alligators, who are bred and forced to live on factory farms before workers skin and kill them.
Like elephants, crocodiles are curious, sensitive individuals who want to be left alone. They want to swim, build nests, and protect their young, but instead, they are stabbed, skinned, and killed for “luxury” bags.
Take 10 Seconds to Help Alligators Killed for Hermès Products
A PETA eyewitness investigation revealed that alligators on a farm in Texas that supplied an Hermès-owned tannery were crammed into dark, filthy sheds with no access to sunshine, fresh air, clean water, or basic medical care. A worker cut into the necks of more than 500 alligators as they struggled to escape. Many alligators fought for their lives—they flailed and kicked for minutes after workers tried to kill them.
You know that every animal is someone, so defend alligators now! Urge Hermès to stop selling exotic skins.
