Chanel sheds crocodile and snake skin in luxury fashion first
- Veteran designer Karl Lagerfeld said the French brand had chosen itself to drop exotic skins rather than it ‘being imposed on us’
Chanel said on Tuesday is would no longer use exotic animal pelts, making it the first luxury fashion house to turn its back on crocodile and lizard skin, a move hailed by animal rights groups.
Its head of fashion Bruno Pavlovsky said it “would no longer use exotic skins in our future creations”, saying it was becoming more difficult to source high-quality pelts ethically.
Handbags, coats and shoes made from snake, crocodile and stingray skin command premium prices, with Chanel handbags made from them reportedly selling for up to €9,000 (US$10,300).
Python skin bags were removed from Chanel’s website on Tuesday, although second-hand bags were still on sale from more than €5,500 from online resale sites.
Chanel’s veteran designer Karl Lagerfeld told the fashion industry bible Women’s Wear Daily the French brand had chosen itself to drop exotic skins rather than it “being imposed on us. We did it because it’s in the air.
“It’s a free choice,” he said, insisting he used fur so rarely at Chanel that he could not remember when it last featured on the catwalk.