Selfridges joins Victoria Beckham and Chanel in banning exotic skins
Selfridges is the latest fashion titan to ban the use of exotic skins, joining brands like Victoria Beckham and Chanel. The luxury department store has vowed to stop selling products made from python, alligator, lizard and crocodile skin by 2020, according to WWD.
From February 2020, the company will only sell leather goods made from agricultural livestock, including cow, sheep, pig, goat, water buffalo and lamb.
Claire Bass, executive director at the Humane Society International, told the Guardian: “Banning exotic skins in recognition of the serious animal welfare issues that exist in this industry is a natural next step for a responsible retailer.”
A post shared by Selfridges (@theofficialselfridges) on Feb 26, 2019 at 10:14am PST
The store is known for its efforts to help the environment. As well as being fur-free for over a decade, Selfridges have promised that, by 2022, half of their products will be eco-friendly. It has already removed single-use plastic water and carbonated dink bottles from sale and now uses carrier bags made from up-cycled coffee cups.
Sebastian Manes, Selfridges buying director, explained to Paper: “We are dedicated to being at the very forefront of future-thinking retail.”
“For us, that’s a future where luxury is defined by craftsmanship and material innovation.”
This represents an industry-wide shift, as Selfridges joins brands including Chanel and Victoria Beckham in banning exotic skins. A host of labels have recently pledged to halt the use of fur, including Jean-Paul Gaultier, Burberry, Gucci, Versace, Michael Kors, Diane Von Furstenberg and Jimmy Choo.
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