Peta Asia recently filed a lawsuit against two luxury goods groups, Kering and LVMH.
PETA President Ingrid Newkirk wrote two letters to Fran ois-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, and Bernard Arnault, Chairman and CEO of LVMH, accusing them of not doing enough to protect animals and urging them to take action to stop using rare animal leather.
In a letter to Fran ois-Henri Pinault, Ingrid Newkirk first thanked Kering for its "zero fur" policy this year. Ingrid Newkirk then noted in the letter: "According to PETA Asia's investigation, Gucci used lizard leather that was violently and cruelly disposed of in its bag accessories. ”
Gucci's rare leather bag
Ingrid Newkirk believes that no bag, belt or wallet is worth using lizard leather obtained through such cruel means, "In fact, Kering's brands are perfectly capable of using leather materials with a beautiful appearance that are ethical, sustainable and in line with the design needs of the product." ”
In a separate letter to Bernard Arnault, Ingrid Newkirk accused slaughterhouse workers who supplied python leather to the LVMH Group of abusing pythons. In addition, Ingrid Newkirk pointed out that LVMH also has animal abuse problems in the Vietnamese supply chain, such as thousands of crocodiles being imprisoned in a confined and small space for months.
In the face of PETA Asia's allegations, other experts who have watched PETA Asia's investigation videos first expressed their opinions, arguing that the alleged animal abuse shown in the video generally still meets the current international animal welfare standards.
Louis Vuitton's rare leather handbag
Subsequently, on December 16, the two groups responded to this allegation and reaffirmed their respective commitments to animal welfare standards and raw material traceability and sustainable development.
In an exclusive statement to WWD, Kering said: "The Kering Group has always been committed to respecting the highest standards of animal welfare, sustainability and worker working conditions when sourcing rare furs. Kering is also working with several industry associations to help suppliers improve their production process methods. For the sourcing of rare leather, Kering is committed to achieving its goal of 100% traceability and strictly adhering to Kering's raw material sourcing and manufacturing process standards by 2025. ”
After reiterating the Group's values, Kering also responded directly to PETA Asia's allegations: "As for the 'evidence' of lizard abuse in indonesian factories provided to us by PETA Asia, while we take these allegations very seriously, there is no evidence that Kering's brands have a direct or indirect commercial connection with the plant or these practices." ”
At the same time, the statement also pointed out that Kering's animal welfare standards have clearly prohibited animal cruelty. "After receiving the allegations, we have conducted an investigation into all the suppliers in-house. If there is a definite connection between the plant and our supply chain, then we will immediately terminate the business contact with it. We are committed to continuously improving traceability and animal welfare in our supply chain. Kering wrote in the statement.
A group spokesperson for LVMH also issued a statement to the outside world. In a statement, LVMH stated that "respecting all views and sensitivities regarding the use of animal-based raw materials, we support and actively participate in the industry's efforts to achieve the best path for development." Our aim is to provide consumers with products manufactured in the most responsible and ethical manner. ”
In its statement, LVMH reiterated its commitment to sustainability, including the adoption of the highest standards in the procurement of rare leather materials, prioritization of animal welfare, species protection and maximum respect for the environment and local communities.
The spokesperson also noted in a statement that LVMH has developed a strict regulation on the procurement of animal raw materials in 2019 to assess the above commitments applicable to all of its brands. In addition, to ensure that its designers have the freedom to use the raw materials that allow them to express their vision, LVMH is firmly committed to the construction of material traceability.
"LIFE 360" proposed by LVMH
In recent years, as sustainability issues have gradually become the mainstream trend in the fashion industry, more and more luxury brands and groups have joined the ranks of "banning rare leather" and "stopping the use of animal furs". Previously, companies such as Chanel and Alexandre Birman had issued announcements that they would stop using rare leather. Nordstrom has also pledged to stop using animal furs by the end of the year. Armani joined zero fur manufacturers as early as 2016 and announced in December that it would stop using angora rabbit hair. Luxury brands such as Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, and Burberry have also proposed their own zero fur plans.
Armani Group announced that it would stop using angora rabbit hair
However, as mentioned above, the luxurious and rare attributes of luxury brands determine that they cannot be completely separated from rare leather, and Hermès, which has been attacked by animal protection organizations such as PETA for many years, has never explicitly proposed its own "zero fur plan" or "deactivation of rare leather plan", and its bags made of crocodile skin, ostrich skin, snake skin, etc. are still the symbols of wealth that the wealthy class flocks to.
Fendi, a subsidiary of the LVMH Group, has recently said it will continue to source animal furs to make fur products while adhering to the highest standards. According to research by digital consultancy Electra, Fendi's global reach is gradually climbing as it is driven by its iconic fur products. With 34% of Fendi's outdoor apparel revenue, fur products are its most important source of revenue and the most critical factor in maintaining scarcity and luxury. So, in a sense, luxury brands don't really abandon these materials that can shape scarcity and luxury, but will use these rare materials to higher procurement and production standards.
In response to PETA Asia's call to stop using rare leather, an LVMH spokesperson declined to say whether company executives were considering stopping the use of rare leather or whether they planned to communicate with PETA officials. A PETA spokesperson said on December 16 that the organization had not yet received a response directly from Kering or LVMH. She said PETA plans to hold next protests in Las Vegas and in different cities. WWD
Written by Karlie
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