Jane Birkin, the actress and singer whose name has been synonymous with a pricey and sought-after handbag for decades, has asked that the fashion house take her name off the product until the farm that supplies the animal skins gets its act together, Yahoo News is reporting .
Since the middle 1980s, the Jane Birkin croc bag, produced by legendary Paris fashion house Hermés, has been a prized fashion accessory among the rich and famous — former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham is among its fans, according to U.S. News and World Report . Low-end models start at around $10,000, and the waiting list to get one can stretch into months and years.
However, a recent People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) investigation at the Texas alligator and crocodile farm Lone Star Alligator Farms, which supplies skins for the Jane Birkin bags, has caught the 68-year-old actress’ attention. In June, PETA released a video showing farm workers referring to alligators and crocodiles as “watch straps,” and allowing an alligator to slowly die, twitching, in a “bloody ice container.”
“Our investigator in Texas spent most of the day standing in knee deep, filthy, putrid water that had as many as 55 alligators in it, when according to the state’s own statute it should have no more than six.”
Once the video came to Jane Birkin’s attention, she asked the fashion house to remove her name from the bags; that is, until Hermés gets its skin supplier problems resolved.
“[I have] asked Hermés to de-baptize the Birkin Croco until better practices in line with international norms can be put in place.”
Hermés issued a statement indicating that the company is shocked at what the video purports to show, and is on board with Birkin’s request.
“Jane Birkin has expressed her concerns regarding practices for slaughtering crocodiles. 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.”
To be fair, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, which oversees alligator farming in the state, sees things differently than PETA. In a surprise March inspection, investigators only found minor violations, including a minor building issue and an animal with a mild bacterial infection, says spokesman Steve Lightfoot.
“Our folks did indicate this site was fairly impeccable as far as the conditions, the record-keeping. We don’t have any issues with Lone Star Alligator Farms.”
Hermés will continue to produce other animal-skin bags — including ostritch and calf-skin bags — that also bare Jane Birkin’s name.
[Image courtesy of: Getty Images/ Stringer ]
