The animal protection organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) increased pressure on Hermès in the run-up to Christmas by releasing a “foul-smelling spray” in one of the luxury brand’s Paris boutiques.
One of the activists who staged Thursday’s protest wore a T-shirt that read “Hermès stinks of death” and held a sign calling on Hermès to stop using ” PETA announced after the campaign that it would stop using exotic skins for its products. This was linked to a previous investigation in which PETA alleged that Hermès was linked to intensive farms where crocodiles, whose pigs are used in the brand’s supply chain, are believed to be kept in inhumane conditions.
According to the investigation, conducted by Australia’s Kindness Project 2021, video footage released by PETA showed that “Hermès suppliers in Texas and Zimbabwe trapped tens of thousands of crocodiles in barren concrete pits” before killing them.
The organization claimed that it takes the skins of three crocodiles to make one Hermès Birkin bag, citing previous studies – particularly from the campaign group Nature Needs More – which have shown that the use of animal skins in the fashion industry Increased risk of virus transmission to humans.
“It’s high time for Hermès to stop turning up its nose at animal rights – an issue of great importance to today’s consumers who reject industries that imprison and torture animals,” said Mimi Bekhechi , PETA’s vice president for Europe. “We call on the company to move away from these archaic and cruel materials that reek of death.”
This translated and edited post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk.