Jane Birkin wants Hermès to stop using her name for Birkin bag

New York - For over three decades the Hermès Birkin bag has been one of the ultimate status symbols. It was practically the designer bag that was unrivaled by virtually any other designer bag. With its 10,000 dollar and up price tag and almost three year waiting list, finally getting your hands on one of those bags was a sign you had made it to a certain status that most people only dream of.

The bag was named after Jane Birkin, who was seated next to the Hermès chairman Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight when the contents of her bag fell out, and she explained to him she had difficulty finding a leather weekender bag that held all her belongings. Dumas then created the legendary bag for her and named it after her. While the waiting list for those bags is particularly long, it's about to get even longer for their crocodile skin version.

Birkin wants her name removed from the Hermès crocodile skin bag

Birkin apparently has a strong opposition to the crocodile skin version of the bag due to the fashion house's reported unethical treatment of the crocodiles used to produce these bags. In June, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) released video footage of crocodiles being killed at farms in the U.S. and Africa. They said the animals were "crudely hacked" in crowded and fetid conditions, and the skins were used to make Hermes bags and watches.

The company responded saying they were shocked by the images, but one of the farms in the video was not associated with them. They have yet to say whether Birkin's name would be removed from the crocodile skin bags. In a statement, Hermès said, "Jane Birkin has expressed her concerns regarding practices for slaughtering crocodiles. Her comments do not in any way influence the friendship and confidence that we have shared for many years. Hermès respects and shares her emotions and was also shocked by the images recently broadcast."

Hermès continued their statement saying, "An investigation is underway at the Texas farm which was implicated in the video. Any breach of rules will be rectified and sanctioned. Hermès imposes on its partners the highest standards in the ethical treatment of crocodiles. For more than 10 years, we have organized monthly visits to our suppliers. We control their practices and their conformity with slaughter standards established by veterinary experts and by the Fish and Wildlife Service (a federal American organization for the protection of nature) and with the rules established under the aegis of the UNO, by the Washington Convention of 1973 which defines the protection of endangered species."

The bag's iconic status was secured by the likes of celebrities like Victoria Beckham (who reportedly owns 100 of the bags), and other high profile stars like Jennifer Lopez and supermodel Kate Moss. Despite the controversy surrounding the bag, due to its iconic status it doesn't seem like sales will be declining anytime soon. As of right now, it seems like their crocodile skin bag will still be retaining Birkin's name as well.