Mulberry has become the latest luxury fashion brand to ban the use of
exotic animal skins in its designs.
The luxury British handbag label – which already has a fur-free policy –
will no longer use the skins of alligators, crocodiles, ostriches, lizards,
or snakes in its collections from spring-summer 2020 onwards.
“[W]e have spent a lot of time determining and then continually
reviewing our sustainability metrics and targets,” Mulberry group
sustainability manager Rosie Wollacott said in a statement. “At an early
stage of this process, we decided not to use exotics in our collections,
and this remains our position.”
The use of animal products in fashion, which has already been a hot
topic of debate in recent years, has come further under the spotlight in
past months after experts linked its trade with the spread of diseases like
Covid-19. The novel coronavirus, which continues to cause widespread global
disruption, is speculated to have originated in a Chinese market selling
wild and exotic animals.
Mulberry to no longer use exotic skins from SS20
The luxury label’s decision to ban exotic skin comes after years of pressure by
animal welfare group Peta, an organisation which has made a name for itself
for urging companies around the world to forgo the use of animal
products.
Last month, the group bought stock in nearly two dozen fashion
companies, including Ralph Lauren, Urban Outfitters and Guess, in a move
which allows its members to attend the fashion companies’ annual meetings
and confront shareholders and management about their policies.
Director of corporate projects at Peta, Yvonne Taylor, said: “Behind
every handbag or wallet made with exotic skins is an animal who suffered
tremendously. Mulberry’s decision to ban these cruelly obtained materials
is a sign of the times, and Peta calls on other luxury labels to follow its
lead.”
Other luxury brands to ban the use of exotic fur in recent years include
Paul Smith, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, the SMCP group,
and Diane von Furstenberg.
Photo credit: Mulberry