English actress, singer, and style icon Jane Birkin has decided she's had enough of Hermès using her name on their famous handbag. Or, more specifically, she's decided she's had enough unless the French luxury brand puts an end to, in the actress' words, the "cruel practices reserved for crocodiles during their slaughter" to make the Birkin Croco style. The actress, whose name has been affixed to the bag ever since 1984 when then-president of Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas, met her on an airplane and heard of her desire to find a chic -- but practical -- bag, may have first been keyed in to the brand's practices by watching a recent PETA exposé that showed reptile farms in Texas and Zimbabwe and their inhumane treatment of the crocs. These farms, which are allegedly where the brand sources its skins, "cram the animals into barren concrete pits" and hack them to death. "I have asked Hermès to debaptise the Birkin Croco until better practices in line with international norms can be put in place," Birkin said.PETA has applauded the actress' stance but Hermès has yet to comment. Perhaps the brand could use this as an opportunity to do a 180 and change their practices to be among the first ultra-luxe purveyors of cruelty-free handbags, which, we'd imagine, also make the perennially wait-listed item *slightly* more affordable. Wishful thinking?
[via Yahoo]