Selfridges to ban exotic skins by next year

British luxury retailer Selfridges announced today a plan to phase out exotic skins. By this time next year, it will no longer sell leathers from python, alligator, lizard and crocodile, and instead will sell only leather from agricultural livestock.

Selfridges first banned the sale of fur in 2005 - quite ahead of the game compared to retailers like Net-a-Porter, who banned fur in 2017, and a string of brands who vowed to stop selling fur between 2017 and now, including Gucci, Versace, Chanel and Burberry.

Similarly, Chanel and Victoria Beckham are amongst the designers who announced the cessation of the use of exotic skins in their collections.

“We are dedicated to being at the very forefront of future-thinking retail. For us, that’s a future where luxury is defined by craftsmanship and material innovation,” Selfridges buying director Sebastian Manes told WWD of the retailer's decision.