Jane Birkin asks Hermès to rename 'Birkin bags'

The 'Birkin bag' might be in serious trouble following Jane Birkin's request to rename the bag over concerns of animal cruelty.

The actor, singer and style icon publicly asked the luxury fashion brand to rename the 'Birkin' following her concerns over animal cruelty in producing the bags, according to The Independent.

The undercover video by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) exposed the crocodile and alligator farms in Zimbabwe and Texas -- that were allegedly supplying Hermès with the leather for their bags -- prompted the 68-year-old actor to take the decision.PHOTO: FASHIONTIMES

The video reveals cruel treatment to crocodiles and their poor living conditions. They are shown living in concrete ponds and being tortured in ice buckets after which metal rods are shoved down their spinal columns to kill them.

The farm workers admitted to supplying leather to Hermès.

"Having been alerted to the cruel practices endured by crocodiles during their slaughter for the production of Hermès bags carrying my name, I have asked Hermès Group to rename the Birkin until better practices responding to international norms can be implemented for the production of this bag," said Birkin in a statement.

Read: Crocodile-skin handbag sells for a record $222,912

The 'Birkin bag' was created in 1984 and was named after the actor by Jean-Louis Dumas, the former chairman of Hermès.

The founder of Peta, Ingrid Newkirk, thanked Birkin for her statement. She called on Hermès to "stop plundering wildlife, factory-farming crocodiles and alligators and slaughtering them for their skins."

"Once, Birkin bags marked people as celebrities or at least members of the super-rich, but soon, no one will want to be caught dead carrying one, and animal advocates will then breathe a sigh of relief," she added.PHOTO: EALUXE

The prices of these luxury bags range from  £6,700 to £100,000. The cost of the bag depends on the type of materials used including calf, ostrich and lizard leather. The most expensive ones are made from the skin of the saltwater crocodile.

Their exclusivity is also based on the fact that these bags are released to the shops on unpredictable schedules and in limited quantities.

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