Just before pre-fall 2019 Metiers d’Art show in New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Chanel has said “it will no longer use exotic skins in its future creations.
The exotic skins talked about include lizard, snake, crocodile, stingray and fur…the decision is as a result of the difficulty encountered in sourcing for skins that meet the house’s quality and ethical standards.
“There is a problem of supply and that was not Chanel’s business anyway,” Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel fashion and president of Chanel SAS, commented. “We did it because it’s in the air, but it’s not an air people imposed to us. It’s a free choice.”
The brand will shift attention to the research and development of materials and leathers generated by “agri-food” industries.The future of high-end products will come from the know-how of what our atelier is able to do,” Pavolsky said.
Chanel is the first luxury brand to join labels, including Asos, Nike, H&M, Puma, Arcadia Group and L Brands, which have already banned exotic skins from their product offering.