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Jane Birkin wants her name off the Birkin bag due to animal cruelty concerns

Hermès’s Birkin bags are the status symbol of status symbols in the fashion community. The iconic purses boast a waitlist that can span years and price tags that range between $10,000 and $150,000, depending on the make and materials.

On Tuesday, animal rights organization PETA burst the luxury label’s bubble with a report that alleges a Texas alligator factory, and Hermès supplier, uses inhumane practices. Among the disturbing charges is the allegation that the factory slaughters animals while they’re “still conscious and able to feel pain.”

Actress Jane Birkin, the famed bag’s muse, penned a statement to Hermès:

“Having been alerted to the cruel practices endured by crocodiles during their slaughter for the production of Hermès bags carrying my name…I have asked Hermès Group to rename the Birkin until better practices responding to international norms can be implemented for the production of this bag.”

Of course, Hermès responded with a statement of their own and a promise to investigate the situation in Texas:

“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.

An investigation is underway at the Texas farm which was implicated in the video. Any breach of rules will be rectified and sanctioned. Hermès specifies that this farm does not belong to them and that the crocodile skins supplied are not used for the fabrication of Birkin bags.

Hermès imposes on its partners the highest standards in the ethical treatment of crocodiles. For more than 10 years, we have organized monthly visits to our suppliers. We control their practices and their conformity with slaughter standards established by veterinary experts and by the Fish and Wildlife (a federal American organization for the protection of nature) and with the rules established under the aegis of the U.N.O, by the Washington Convention of 1973 which defines the protection of endangered species.”

Is Hermès’s response enough? Share your thoughts in the comments. 

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