Louis Vuitton makes some of the finest bags in the fashion world, but are they classed as vegan?
Louis Vuitton bags are made from real animal skins such as cowhide, boa, crocodile, lambskin, and even camel skin. Like many other luxury fashion labels, Louis Vuitton spares no expense in obtaining and using exotic skins for its bags.
Read on to learn more about Louis Vuitton and the materials used in the creation of its products.
Is Beauty Only Skin Deep?
These days, many companies are making the progressive leap away from using animal products to manufacture their merchandise. There are many companies that once relied on skins and furs that have now become more eco-friendly and protective of nature.
For example, Ralph Lauren, a company which was once a prominent consumer of animal fur. In 2006, the entire company swore off the use of furs in its products, opting instead for either synthetic furs or sustainable alternatives.
The company has taken great steps to reduce the use of fur across the fashion industry, including influencing others to follow in their footsteps. You can learn more about these efforts in another article we posted.
However, despite the best efforts of these big fashion labels, there are still a few brands that use exotic skins and furs. Louis Vuitton is one of these labels, and its bags and clothing often feature various types of leather, wool, skins, and even hair.
Therefore, it’s clear that Louis Vuitton bags are far from being classed as vegan. In fact, there are active campaigns by vegans and animal protection agencies that attempt to drive Louis Vuitton into changing its ways.
Bizarrely, in 2017, PETA acquired a stake in Louis Vuitton, alleging that they would try to change things from the inside. The animal rights organization claimed it would use their newfound rights to ‘put pressure on the company to stop selling exotic skins’.
Although, the French manufacturer has been consistently rated as the world’s most valuable luxury brand for good reason. It’s widely known that Louis Vuitton spares no expense when it comes to the production of its merchandise.
If this means they need to use rare and exotic animal skins, then that’s what they’ll do. As long as there’s a market for Louis Vuitton’s hyper-expensive bags and apparel, they’ll likely continue to produce them as they do.
The Dark Side Of Fashion
There are constant allegations regarding the fashion industry, specifically the treatment of animals used for the production of these luxurious items. It seems that every day there is a new claim of mistreatment, abuse, and barbaric tactics used to obtain skins, furs, and other body parts.
In 2017, PETA released a damning exposé (warning: graphic footage) that revealed the brutality taking place in the production of crocodile-skinned bags. They published undercover footage and an investigation that claimed crocodiles were skinned alive, suffering for hours until they succumbed to the bodily damage.
Louis Vuitton’s crocodile skin bags make up some of its most popular products, owing to the look, feel, and durable of the material. If you’d like to purchase a crocodile skin bag, you can expect to pay as much as fifty thousand dollars.
These bags might leave you gaping in incredulity, as they’re often no bigger than a clutch, camera, or phone bag. It’s a testament to the value of a Louis Vuitton product, which are often some of the most expensive in the fashion world.
Reportedly, for one hundred of these bags to be made, it can take as many as one hundred and thirty full crocodile skins. Incredibly, there are people who believe these types of skins are fine to consume as crocodiles and alligators aren’t necessarily cute animals.
For example, Victoria Beckham, who has long been a figure in the media spotlight as a result of her eye for fashion and style. Many years ago, she swore off fur but has been seen many times brandishing a crocodile skin bag.
It’s a strange position to assume, and although she has been praised for her stance on the use of fur, it’s bizarre that she’d still use other animal-based products. Regardless, the fact is that these bags, shoes, belts, and other items are popular because they’re popular.
As long as celebrities are seen wearing or carrying them, other people will want to buy them. They’re symbols of status, wealth, and exclusivity, and in this modern age of consumerism, that’s all people ever seem to want.