Peta buys a share in Hermès

The on-going battle between Peta and Hermès is set to continue as the animal rights group announced that they have bought a single share in the French fashion house on the Paris stock exchange "in order to put pressure on the company to end its sale of exotic-animal skins”.

The move follows Jane Birkin’s request that Hermès remove her name from its best-selling bag, the Birkin, following Peta’s investigation that alleged to show the inhumane and illegal treatment of crocodiles in factory farms that supply Hermès with skins in Texas and Zimbabwe.

The American wing of the animal rights organisation has acquired just one share in the brand, which will permit its representatives to attend the company’s annual meeting.

In a statement, the group's executive vice-president, Tracy Reiman, said: “Peta will be campaigning outside the company, and, as a shareholder, also working from the inside to demand a ban on exotic animal–skin accessories, including crocodile-skin bags and alligator-skin watchband."

However, the French luxury brand has hit back by stating that one of the farms mentioned in Peta’s investigation doesn’t have any association with them, stating: "Hermès respects and shares [Birkin's] emotions and was also shocked by the images recently broadcast. An investigation is underway at the Texas farm which was implicated in the video.

“Any breach of rules will be rectified and sanctioned. Hermès specifies that this farm does not belong to them and that the crocodile skins supplied are not used for the fabrication of Birkin bags.”