Jane Birkin asks Hermès to remove her name from crocodile-skin handbags

British actress Jane Birkin wants to put some distance between herself and Hermes’ coveted, crocodile-skin handbag.

Jane Birkin wants to put some distance between herself and the world’s most coveted handbag.

The British actress has asked Hermès International SCA to have her name removed from its iconic Birkin bags made with crocodile skin, objecting to what she said were cruel methods used on farms that raise the reptiles for their pricey skins.

“I have asked Hermès to un-baptise the Birkin Croco until better practices in line with international norms can be put in place,” the 68-year-old Ms Birkin said.

Crocodile farms have become the target of animal rights activist group PETA, after it published on June 23 an online video on YouTube showing the treatment of the reptiles in farms in Texas and Zimbabwe. The video depicted animals crammed into concrete pits and workers hacking and skinning conscious animals.

Hermès built its reputation on the Birkin bag, a sought-after accessory that is regarded as the epitome of the French luxury house’s exclusivity. Customers must be invited by Hermès to buy one, and waiting lists can extend for months for those who seek models in rarer skins, such as crocodile or ostrich.

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The bag was first conceived when Ms Birkin, seated next to then-Hermès chairman Jean-Louis Dumas on a plane in 1984, complained that she couldn’t find a bag big enough to suit her. Mr Dumas offered to create a bag for her that would be large enough for her to carry “her house” but stylish enough for the brand to lend its name.

The Birkin became an instant classic.

A fuchsia-coloured diamond-studded Birkin bag in crocodile skin recently set a record for the most expensive bag sold at auction, fetching almost $US222,000 at a Christie’s sale in Hong Kong.

Earlier this month, Hermès said demand remained strong for its handbags, which helped the company post a 22 per cent rise in overall second-quarter revenues to $US2.5 billion.

Hermès said on Wednesday that it was also shocked by the PETA video and said an investigation is under way at the Texas farm. The company said it didn’t own the farm and none of the skins from the Texas facility are used for the fabrication of Birkin bags.

The luxury brand also tried its best to maintain cordial relations with Ms Birkin its top product ambassador. “Her comments do not in any way influence the friendship and confidence that we have shared for many years,” Hermès wrote.

The Wall Street Journal