Actress and singer Jane Birkin asked luxury handbag maker Hermes to remove her name from its iconic Birkin Croco crocodile handbag in July after video surfaced showing mistreatment of crocodiles at a farm. Birkin says she is satisfied with steps Hermes has taken to correct the problems and has dropped her request to have her name removed from the bags.
Birkin had signed Joaquin Phoenix’s Mercy for Animals petition calling on people to get rid of clothing and accessories made with exotic skins after video showing abuse of crocodiles was released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Hermes said the mistreatment of crocodiles was an “isolated irregularity” at one farm in Texas. The company warned the farm that if the abuse continued, it would cease all relations with the farm.
Birkin met Jean-Louis Dumas, then-head of Hermes, on a flight in the 1980s. She told him about her struggle to find the perfect handbag, and he designed one and named it after her. The Birkin is one of the most expensive and sought-after luxury goods in the world.
Birkin handbags are made with many materials, including leather and ostrich skin. The company produces a relatively small number of handbags, resulting in waiting lists that make the bags even more desirable to consumers.
Hermes is one of the world’s last independent luxury labels. It resists mass marketing strategies and is still controlled by family members of the saddlemaker who founded the company in 1837. The company has survived economic ups and downs through its commitment to traditional handcraftsmanship.
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