Fashion WTF: Hermes Now Breeding Crocodiles For Their Handbags

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by Michael dEstries June 10, 2009
Categories: Animals, Eats.

croc

Designer label Hermes has announced that they are breeding their own crocodiles to meet demand for their leather bags. Go ahead and read that again.

Chief executive Patrick Thomas told Reuters: “We are now breeding our own crocodiles on our own farms, mainly in Australia. We cannot face demand. We have massive over-demand. We are limited by our ability to train new craftsmen. Hermes already faces a major challenge producing 3,000 crocodile bags a year.”

It can take three or four crocodiles to provide enough skin for one bag and breeding can often be expensive as the animals need to be kept apart in separate rooms to minimize skin damage from bites.

In other words, this is all really messed up. But I guess I really shouldn’t be surprised considering the fur and factory farms of the world. To think that these animals are being raised for the sole purpose of being turned into $50K handbags blows my mind. Especially when you’ve got people running the show saying things like this: “The world is not full of crocodiles, except the stock exchange!”

Hahaha –  screw you, Hermes.


Categories: Animals, Eats.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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  • http://www.mountainsofthemoon.com Melissa

    Unreal. Way to make a positive difference in the fashion world, Hermes.

  • harun

    You have no right to stand against the fashion world. It is a very well respected type of society that is even considered ARTISTIC.

    People eat meat, people hunt, some even abuse animals, and then you have those who slaughter them for clothes.

    If you are going to stand against this issue, you might as well stand against others.

    • Dgredy

      HARUM: no matter how many other animal abuses are out there you should never ever justified this! i know people eat meat and wear cows and other abuses and it does not mean its ok so breeding crocodiles for their skin is horrible and there is nothing artistic anout abusing animals, and killing 4 crocodiles for one bloody handbag so air heads like stupid victoria beckham can look “good” is so so stupid.

  • http://RawfoodsRetreat.com Erin Raw Foods

    Yo, Huruny,

    It just so happens that Ecorazzi does take a stand on the other awful practices you mention.

    And just because people abuse animals doesn’t make it right to slaughter then for 50k handbags.

    And as far as being well respected? Sadly I used to work in that industry and trust me, I didn’t respect them at all. I’m sorry you do but I don’t call art killing animals for fashion.

    Would it be art they killed a person for art? No I didn’t think so…. and same goes for animals.

    E

  • marrisa

    um harun, you do realize you’re on a blog that supports and flaunts veganism right?

  • marrisa

    also, does anyone know a way to write either e-mail or post the designer?

  • harun

    I do realize that this is an animal-friendly site.

    It is pretty hard to explain:
    If you LOVE fashion, if you see it as art or something you truly admire, things like these can’t stop you.

    And honestly, if someone tells me that I am “heartles” or that I have “no feelings” I would suggest you refrain.
    What about all the wars in the world? Poverty? Human rights? Why do so many people choose to ignore these important things to focus to save animals that would kill us if they had the chance.

  • http://www.sandraberg.com Sandra

    This is messed up in so many ways. But I guess I’m not surprised and that’s the most messed up.

    I don’t think it’s okej to start debating that just because ppl are eating meat, abusing animals and live in poverty it’s okej to breed animals for fur and their skin. None of the above should be happening.

  • http://RawfoodsRetreat.com Erin Raw Foods

    Huran,

    This is illogical thinking. You can always point out something bad that is happening.

    The same could be said of the war; someone could say “oh if they were given the chance they’d kill us so we have to fight them… why not worry about other things like abortions or blah blah blah blah.

    It’s illogical (and honestly immoral and unethical) to just change the subject and point at other atrocities in the world and say “wait look at those instead!”

    I live in Florida around all sorts of Alligators (cousins to the Crocs) and honestly? They don’t bother me at all. I’ve accidentally walked up to plenty (I live on the water they are difficult to see) and they just run away. If given the chance they would kill us? Alligators and crocs roam free in MANY countries and there are very few deaths.

    There are thousand times more deaths of us killing them.

    If given the chance they would kill us is STUPID OF YOU to say since given the chance they don’t kill me. Either do cows, pigs, sheep, deer, chickens and most other animals we eat. Think about your illogical statements before posting them in the future.

    E

  • harun

    My statements are not illogical.
    (And my name is Harun, btw).

    I honestly do not see the point in arguing about this anyways. People have always killed animals, animals have killed us, blah blah, you know how it goes.

    Once upon a time, I used to be a vegetarian. I used to take a stand for all the animals and get mad at my parents for eating meat. And then I realized “What for?”. People must realize that there will NEVER be a free-meat-eating world, and that it is only NATURAL for us to consume animal products (whether it is for eating or not, it depends).

    “Statistics show that crocodiles kill roughly 3000 people a year. The problem with this statistic is that when a croc kills there are no remains left so it is a very hard statistic to answer correctly.”

    However, the point is not “who kills more”. What I am trying to get across is that I think it’s perfectly fine to slaughter crocodiles humanely for bags and such. I am strongly against inhumane treatment of animals and unfortunately, it is very common within the fashion world.

    • Dgredy

      huran haram blah blah! it doesnt matter you really have to stop giving your opinion because you really dont know what you are saying! animals dont kill us for fun or fashion like we do, if they kill is to protect themselves or their young. and man think because they have the machine power they can do whatever they want to animals and its wrong. and did you know that some natzis saw hte killing of jewish people as art?????? so does that make it ok!?

  • sam

    Harun,

    The choice of your diet is yours, but I must point out that one does not base their decisions solely on whether they think everyone is going to do the same for the betterment of the earth. So what I am trying to say is, even though what you say (“People must realize that there will NEVER be a free-meat-eating world”) might be true, but saying that it is “natural” on the other hand is quite debatable.
    Also if you sincerely believe that it is okay to kill an animal so that you can have a “nice” purse, and if you believe killing animals is okay if it is done humanely, I have to question how you prioritize things.
    Is the fashion industry really that much more important than a life?

  • BanTheFurTrade

    So Harun, you really believe these animals are slaughtered “humanely”? Really? I doubt very much that they are. Even if they are, it wouldn’t be right to kill them for something as frivolous as a handbag. There are plenty of cruelty-free materials to make those out of.

  • http://kipstargirl.blogspot.com/ Kipstar

    In a way I agree with Harun. I find people objecting to fur, whaling and croc farming …who then wear leather and sit and eat meat to be a little in denial.

    We farm animals to eat and farming animals for handbags in no worse.

    This is horrible though.

    • Dgredy

      some humas see eating animals as suvivor as thats how is meant to be and you know eating meat is been around forever, but killing an animals for pure plesure has no excuse. and plaese domt agree with harun he is just an idiot !

  • shannon

    I urge any and every fashionista with a sense of compassion to boycott Hermés until they ditch breeding crocodiles for slaughter in making handbags. If you absolutely must continue to wear leather, look for cowhides fashioned in mock-croc or fake snake. Otherwise, ditch all animal skins and wear synthetics molded to simulate the real deal.

  • GraceForTheEnvironment

    this is just cruel, yes animal bags are high in demand but to make it worse by breeding Crocodiles! :(

  • http://www.groovyvegetarian.com Missy (from Groovy Vegetarian)

    SSS. Sick, sad and sorry. People need to care – plain and simple.

    If you care, that is what makes a difference, if you don’t – that is the attitude that makes things like this prevail.

    THE I DON’T CARE ATTITUDE:
    “I want a nice bag. Oh an alligator was bred and killed for it. Who cares? I don’t. Give me my bag.”

    THE I CARE ATTITUDE:
    “I want a nice bag. Oh an alligator was bred and killed for it. No! I don’t want it, i won’t support you. I’ll shop elsewhere.

    See the difference.

  • http://RawfoodsRetreat.com Erin Raw Foods

    Harun

    Apologies for the name misspelling.

    Yes people have killed animals for years and yes animals have killed people (though I’m not sure about 3,000 people a year?!!)

    . There are only one or two human deaths per year in Australia

    Read more: http://marine-life.suite101.com/article.cfm/marine_reptiles#ixzz0I5VqGWUQ&C

    This site says 1 to 2 deaths a year in Australia. WHere are the other 2,998 Croc deaths happening? We have 1 average a year here in Fla. Maybe 2. Please. do let me know.

    Secondly even back a century ago when people did kill animals (and still in some civilizations) they do so with respect. In some countries animals are raised still in relatively free range environment with no drugs. I’m not saying whether that’s right or wrong but it’s still better than factory farming which happens here and is spreading elsewhere.

    It’s not natural to keep a smart pig in a tiny enclosure where she cannot turn around. That’s not humane, it’s barbaric. Yet that’s how we treat the majority of the animals raised here in the US.

    I think the reason so many people on this board have gone veg’an is not just because they think killing animals is wrong but the WAY in which they are raised treated and murdered – it’s about the most unnatural thing I can think of .

    REspectfully,

    Erin

  • sonia

    Hey harun you know that 50k piece of art you’re buying, how much of that money do you think could go to more useful purposes like the poverty, war and human rights issues you’re talking about.

    And “crocodiles kill 3000 people or more each year” no shit they’re wild animals who kill humans that live on and around their territory.

    • Dgredy

      hahaha you got him !!! it is so true he is talking about poverty does he know how many kids in africa you can feed with 50k!! harum the joke is on you

  • sonia

    Sorry about the misquote but you get my point about you being somewhat misinformed and oblivious.

  • http://www.veganjapan.net herwin

    “I am strongly against inhumane treatment of animals and unfortunately, it is very common within the fashion world.”
    yes, i agree with you Harun . :-)

  • Stephanie

    Harun: How can you say that people should focus on just human rights/ problems and not animal rights yet say you support the fashion industry? The fashion industry exploits third world children to make the clothing in sweat shops. Those 50 grand handbags are not worth human OR animal exploitation. Also, the fashion industry is a big business with the sole motivation of profit, not a form of art. It’s the children making those clothes that deserve that money.

    BTW yes crocodiles occasionally eat people but they do it out of instinct not the desire to own expensive handbags to show off how rich they are.

  • VeggieTart

    This is pretty sick.

    and Harun, there are people who do love fashion but also loathe animal exploitation so they make clothes, bags, and shoes that don’t harm animals. DUH!

    And your justification for no longer being vegetarian is ridiculous. No, we never will have a vegan world, but I am doing MY part not to tap into animal exploitation, and if I can get people to at least REDUCE their consumption of animal products–whether it’s cutting back on their consumption of animal foods, not using leather, not going to zoos and animal circuses, or not buying products from companies that test on animals–then I’ve made progress.

    And there is nothing natural about the way animal foods are produced today, nor animal “fabrics”. Come on! You think the meat you eat, the overbred, hormone-addled, antibiotic-laced, fed an unnatural diet, blah, blah, blah, until they are slaughtered assembly-line style–you think that’s NATURAL? Harun, are you delusional?

    Yes, poverty, disease, war, etc., are worthy of concern; but just because we care about animals doesn’t mean we don’t care about that.

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  • Whoever…

    First of all, anyone who actually pays 50K for a handbag has a lot of money but doesn’t have a brain at all!!

    Not to mention the fact that PROBABLY those handbags are bought mostly by useless women (who have never worked before) who have rich husbands (please don’t misinterpret me, my intention is not to be sexist at all!).

    @harun:

    Where can I start!?

    “You have no right to stand against the fashion world. It is a very well respected type of society that is even considered ARTISTIC.”

    WTF!? Have you ever heard about that ‘artist’ who exhibited a starving dog on one of his exhibitions!? Do you know he just let the dog starve to death and no one did a damn thing to save the poor animal? Is that also art for you?
    http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/vargas.asp
    http://www.hoax-slayer.com/starving-dog-art.shtml
    We have every right to stand against the fashion world, or any ‘other world’ for that matter, in order to fight for animal rights!
    I for one don’t respect anyone who hurts other living beings (animals or humans!).

    “People eat meat, people hunt, some even abuse animals, and then you have those who slaughter them for clothes.”

    What, just because people do that, it makes it all right? People also kill, rape and abuse other people!! Don’t even try to justify a wrong behaviour with another wrong behaviour.
    Oh, and in case you don’t know, an FBI study revealed “that most serial killers have killed or tortured animals as children.”
    http://abuse.suite101.com/article.cfm/aggression_and_animal_abuse
    http://www.peta.org.uk/factsheet/files/FactsheetDisplay.asp?ID=172

    “If you are going to stand against this issue, you might as well stand against others.”

    You’re absolutely right! That’s what we do here at Ecorazzi and that’s what most of us do in our daily lives.

    “If you LOVE fashion, if you see it as art or something you truly admire, things like these can’t stop you.”

    Murderers love to kill! And some serial killers consider their ‘work’ to be art! What’s your point?

    “What about all the wars in the world? Poverty? Human rights? Why do so many people choose to ignore these important things to focus to save animals that would kill us if they had the chance.”

    If you choose to ignore those things that’s your problem.
    Veg*ans and AR activists don’t ignore those problems. Apparently meat eaters and those who wear fur and leather, etc., aren’t able to do several things ‘at the same time’. News flash… veg*ans can do that very well! :)

    “People have always killed animals, animals have killed us, blah blah, you know how it goes.”

    You know, native tribes have always killed animals to survive. Nonetheless they’ve also always respected the animals that fed their tribes. Native Americans are a great example of that – and they used all the parts of the animals they killed as well. However we’re in the 21st century and we have alternatives. We don’t need to eat animals any more. Besides, the way animals are treated and killed nowadays is barbaric. And although animals kill a ‘few’ people each year (because we’re interfering with their lives by destroying and invading their habitats), humans kill hundreds of millions of animals during the same period of time…

    “Once upon a time, I used to be a vegetarian. I used to take a stand for all the animals and get mad at my parents for eating meat. And then I realized “What for?”. People must realize that there will NEVER be a free-meat-eating world, and that it is only NATURAL for us to consume animal products (whether it is for eating or not, it depends).”

    Well if you live your life depending on what others do, then you have no will of your own. What if everyone decides to commit suicide? Will you also do it!?
    Real Veg*ans are veg*ans because they believe it’s the right thing to do, not because it’s trendy or because other people do it too.
    Natural? What do you consider to be natural!? Torturing animals, skinning them alive, killing them with horrible and cruel methods, etc., isn’t natural to me!

    “Statistics show that crocodiles kill roughly 3000 people a year. The problem with this statistic is that when a croc kills there are no remains left so it is a very hard statistic to answer correctly.”

    I’ll give you the example of sharks… a ‘few’ people are killed by sharks every year, millions of sharks are killed by humans every year. Do you know how most of them are killed? They get them out of the water, cut off their fins and throw them back into the water still alive… those sharks either drown, bleed to death or are eaten alive by other animals…

    “What I am trying to get across is that I think it’s perfectly fine to slaughter crocodiles humanely for bags and such. I am strongly against inhumane treatment of animals and unfortunately, it is very common within the fashion world.”

    Aren’t you contradicting yourself!?
    “Perfectly fine to slaughter crocodiles for bags”? Don’t you see how ridiculous and monstrous this sounds!? Yes I agree with you – you are one heartless person who has no feelings for animals whatsoever…
    Hey maybe you should work in a farm factory! You’d feel right at home there.

    From what caves do these people come from!?

    Geeez…

  • steph

    I said it once and I say it again though it is pointless….

    People that throw around “there are bigger problems to stand against why bother with animals” are close minded ignorant people.

    News flash….MOST animal activist/concerned vegs ect…ARE TOTALLY AWARE OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, WAR, POVERTY ect….and usually are active in the AS WELL.

    We are compassionate people so much so that it extends to ALL beings not just humans….jeez….

  • Get Technical

    Whoever…Somewhat off subject, but

    “Not to mention the fact that PROBABLY those handbags are bought mostly by useless women (who have never worked before) who have rich husbands (please don’t misinterpret me, my intention is not to be sexist at all!).”

    Quote of the day and hilarious! I can’t agree more. There’s nothing more annoying than one who isn’t and has grandiosity because her husband is professionally successful. Um, bimbo, you didn’t work for it… :)

    And yes, nothing can be more ridiculous than a gator bag!

  • http://www.girliegirlarmy.com Chloé Jo Berman

    Harun lost his brain somewhere. Someone help him find it.

  • harun

    I haven’t lost my brain, I was actually in another country today. Anyways,

    I don’t own any Hermes products. What I wish right now is that I could see pictures or read an article about this particular farm in Australia.

    And please, for some of you, this is a debate, and usually in debates people tend to use more “civilized type of expression”. Calling me names and talking nonsense about “spoiled rich women”? Come on, we can all do better than that.

    Most people would argue that “animals have no feelings and are there to be eaten by us, etc.” Before I can move on talking about this, I would like to have every one’s opinion on this.

  • sonia

    I think you’ve had plenty opinions and valid points very well against yours. How many more do you need?

  • Get Technical

    Who votes for Harun being that FBR character? He/she hasn’t come on here in awhile.

    Writing tone sounds suspiciously similar. Just looking to troll and argue.

    Methinks it got a screen name change.

  • http://RawfoodsRetreat.com Erin Raw Foods

    Get tech

    i was thinking the SAME thing… I wish ER would do an IP address check for us. please? :)

    Also the best line thus far by Harun is:

    I haven’t lost my brain, I was actually in another country today.

    I don’t know why but that just made my day.

    The next time someone says Erin have you lost your mind! I’m going to say I have not lost my mind! I was in another country today!

    Ok sorry you guys all wrote brilliant responses to Harun’s odd contradicting posts…

    Harun,

    We know you want to come back to the light. Get out of the dark… C’mon come on over and join us. Give up the leather and meat eating.. Love animals and realize they do have feelings and crocs and alligators don’t seek us to kill us.. We end up cutting down their territory and building ugly gated communities and they’ve no where to go. Short on food supply etc…

    Oh and by the way I’m not into imitation leather (or imitation meat food or any of that) but honestly? if you REALLY want a nice hand bag they have gorgeous 100% PVC bags (no animal products) that look JUST like Alligator skin. I got one as a gift from my mom (uh hello Mom!?) At first I was horrified but it was all PVC… a fraction of the cost and you cannot tell the difference. Again I’m not into fake fur or fake croc skin but it’s sure better than the real deal. I admit I have some gorgeous pleather boots as well. They last much longer than leather and while not organic (dammit can’t be perfect) they come in handy when I go home up north to visit in that cold weather :)

    Keepin it Animal free. for the animals you and me..

    Oh God I need some sleep!

    Come on Harun – come back over to the light. Have you ever met a pig or cow or chicken (we kill over 9 billion chickens alone in the US – Peta sent a newletter out today) They’re nice animals. Be nice back.

    E vegan retreat owner and animal activist

  • Ranger Rick

    Better to “farm” them than to extirpate the remainder of their dwindling populations in the wild. Depending, of course, on the particular sub-species.

    sad.

  • niece

    Just a couple of facts to be considered:

    Hermes’ leather goods accounted for 53.2%, over US$ 938 million, of the groups 2008 revenue, currently they have 309 points of sale (with plans of expanding) world wide.

    Hermes’ directly provides employment to some tens of thousand globally & is a direct source of income for many other industries (logistics, construction, agriculture, etc.). The net effect of their attempt to somehow “sustain” their supply of leather may be viewed as, for lack of a better term, nice. Breeding their own crocodiles (crocodylus porusus) lessens the ecological impact of their operations: crocs stays in the wild, will have lesser hunters, ecological balance has one less corporate monster to worry about. It is also worth noting that breeding will cost the company more than acquiring their leather in the open market.

    Also, PVC bags from China are mostly sourced from undocumented sweat shops. Many factories in China (documented or undocumented) are not really into waste management, one creek near an industrial center actually turned purple thanks to the PVC bags & other leather factories surrounding it.

  • VeggieTart

    Niece, do you work for Hermes? Because you sound like a PR piece.

    The Ford Motor Company, no friend to the environment, determined that leather uses more resources and is more polluting than its substitutes. I mean, how do you think they keep the skin–and that’s what it is, the skins of animals–from rotting on the user’s body? They have to treat it with all sorts of nasty carcinogenic chemicals. Which is also why it isn’t biodegradable!

    I think it’s pretty SICK to breed crocodiles so they can become handbags. If they really cared about crocodiles, they’d find a way to contribute to habitat preservation, not breed them so they can kill them for rich womens’ vanity.

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  • Robin

    No handbag is worth $50,000 and never will be. Hermes is nothing but a joke.
    They overcharge for everything they have and it is nothing special.
    Seeing that they are so ignorant to want to breed and kill crocs for a handbag is obsurd. Anyone can see that.
    I am a horse trainer and we have boycotted Hermes saddlery for years due to their uncaring ways. May whoever buys one of their bags rot in hell be they because that is what they deserve.

  • http://www.saveyourlogo.org Orni

    And at the same time Lacoste is saving crocodiles with the “save your logo” operation.

    Will never buy anything to Hermes.

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