Hermes Birkin May Undergo Name Change

Model, actress and singer Jane Birkin has asked fashion luxury brand Hermes to remove her name from the iconic Birkin bag. After seeing a gruesome video taken by Peta members and images of slaughter and horrific animal cruelty towards crocodiles in order to make a single Hermes Birkin bag, Jane Birkin has insisted that her name be “debaptized” from the Birkin bag. The Birkin bag was inspired by Jane Birkin when she sat next to Hermès CEO Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight from Paris to London and when her belongings happened to spill out of her own purse, Dumas suggested that Jane needed a purse with pockets. Her reply was”

“The day Hermès make one with pockets I will have that”, and he said: “But I am Hermès and I will put pockets in for you.”

Jane Birkin suggested that he create a handbag that is “bigger than the Kelly but smaller than Serge’s suitcase.” Dumas then had Birkin draw out her ideal handbag with dimensions and that was then the spark of the Birkin bag. Dumas proposed that he give the Birkin in exchange for her lending her surname to “Christen” the design, and that folks, is how the Birkin came about!

But today it’s a different story. PETA members went undercover to a Texas crocodile farm where video and pictures were recorded of the “massacre” of the poor crocodiles. The slaughter of the poor reptiles went viral when Jane Birkin witnessed the video and referenced her decision to revoke her name from the Birkin bag. Hermes specifies that the Texas farm “does not belong to them and that the crocodile skins supplied are not used for the fabrication of Birkin bags,” yet the gentleman being interviewed by the undercover PETA reported, claims otherwise, explaining how many crocodile belly skins it takes just to make one Birkin bag, three.

The video of the crocodile slaughter house has received so much attention, that PETA has even decided to purchase a share in the Hermes brand just to prove a point and hopefully change the direction of how Hermes crocodile Birkin bags are made. Jane Birkin intends to let this matter be known, as she asks to have her name removed from the iconic bag. She, as well as PETA, want to spread the awareness of animal cruelty in the fashion industry and leave consumers educated in the practice of fashion animal cruelty, and inform the world on cruelty-free products. Stella McCartney is one luxury designer brand that specifically uses cruelty-free products to create gorgeous clothing, handbags and accessories.

What does this mean for the Hermes Birkin? Will Hermes indeed remove the “Birkin” name from the famous bag that is carried by such prestigious and known celebrities and icons? It is said that Hermes visits their suppliers once a month to ensure that “highest practices” are taken place. Our thought is that Hermes will receive so much backlash from the slaughter of the crocodiles, that they will be forced to retire the Birkin bag, introducing a new-style handbag that has similar qualities of the Birkin.

Now is the time to sell your Hermes Birkin bag for the highest paid dollar!

Reference: Forbes.com