Burberry bans exotic skins following seven year PETA campaign

Luxury fashion label Burberry has announced it will no longer be using exotic skins in its products following a lengthy campaign by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

The animal rights organisation, which became a shareholder of Burberry during the pandemic, has zoned in on the fashion house over several years, demanding it to halt the use of animal skins through strong campaigning. The nonprofit took it a step further last year, when it directly addressed the company in an annual shareholder meeting.

“During Burberry’s annual meeting last year, PETA UK asked when it would make good on its commitment to be ‘a force for good in the world’ by banning exotic skins, and we’re delighted that after years of pressure from PETA entities around the world, that day is today,” said PETA UK’s vice president, Mimi Bekhechi, in a statement.

Burberry joins the likes of Calvin Klein, Chanel, Victoria Beckham, Jil Sander, Mulberry and Vivienne Westwood in banning exotic skins.

The British fashion house already took the step to ban fur and angora back in 2018 after over a decade of campaigning by PETA.

Bekhechi continued: “The few irresponsible outliers still using exotics, such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Gucci, are not just profiting from the exploitation and slaughter of animals but also playing Russian roulette with public health, given that experts – including the United Nations and the World Health Organisation – have warned that the next pandemic could well come from the fashion industry. The future of fashion is vegan, and those failing to embrace that will be hung out to dry, like yesterday’s laundry.”

The move follows a recent investigation by PETA Asia into the exotic skins industry, which found animals used for the production of luxury products were experiencing inhumane conditions and often extreme violence.

The organisation said it will continue calling on other fashion houses to make the same move to animal-free materials.