Victoria Beckham Bans Exotic Skins

Victoria Beckham maintains a strict no-fur policy across her brand’s collections, and now the designer has extended this to exotic skins. “As a business, we have been looking to action the use of more ethically sourced products that have less environmental impact for some time,” a Victoria Beckham brand spokesperson told WWD. “We are happy to confirm that we will cease using exotic skins in all future collections as of our main autumn/winter 2019 ready-to-wear presentation. This decision reflects the wishes of not only the brand, but also that of our customers.”

The announcement comes just days before the brand’s show, which Beckham will stage in London again after the success of her 10th anniversary celebrations last season, and also follows an industry shift in tolerance against animal cruelty. Chanel announced that it would no longer use exotic skins or fur in its future designs ahead of its lavish pre-fall Métiers d’Art show in December, and put pressure on other luxury houses to start taking ethical trading standards into account. Diane Von Furstenberg and longtime environmentalist Vivienne Westwood have also pledged not to use fur and exotic skins in their respective collections, however, the likes of Armani, Coach, Versace, Michael Kors, Gucci, Burberry and, most recently, Philip Lim, have not made the leap to exclude skins in their entirety despite banning fur.

The tide is starting to turn across the international fashion capitals, too. Los Angeles, a city that is becoming a clear trend trailblazer and one Beckham spends a considerable portion of her time in, hosted the first Vegan Fashion Week at the start of February. The exhibition of conscious designers followed the LA's ban of the sale and manufacture of fur, and put the topic of humane fashion firmly on the news agenda for New York, London, Milan and Paris to consider.

It will of course take time for the existing goods containing exotic skins to leave Victoria Beckham's distribution network entirely. So, in the interim will we see Beckham in the lab developing sustainable alternatives? Stay tuned.