Frasers Group bans use of exotic animal skins

PETA issued a release on Monday (7 September) saying UK retail giant Frasers Group has confirmed that it’s “committed to a future without exotic animal skins”, positioning its stores, platforms and brands, as PETA said, “at the forefront of efforts to end the use of wild-animal skins in fashion”.

It’s particularly significant coming now given that Frasers recently bought Harvey Nichols, one of the world’s best-known luxury department store names.

In a diverse and ever-growing portfolio, Frasers also owns luxury businesses including Flannels and Gieves & Hawkes, as well as holding chunky stakes in Hugo Boss and Mulberry. 

In an email, the company said: “We endeavour to make sure that our own brand products are free from exotic animal skins, as well as communicating to our third-party brands that the group will no longer buy products containing exotic animal skins.”

PETA senior VP Mimi Bekhechi said the group is “demonstrating both compassion and business leadership by leveraging its luxury fashion platforms to accelerate the shift away from cruel wild-animal skins. Today’s informed consumers no longer want to wear the suffering of snakes, crocodiles, and ostriches, and we call on other companies to follow suit.”

Following the virtual elimination of fur from fashion collections, campaign groups have turned their attention to exotic animal skins, highlighting some of the abuses that happen in this area.

That has spurred a growing number of fashion brands, retailers, and events to drop wild-animal skins – including Balenciaga, Burberry, Chanel, Selfridges Group, Victoria Beckham, and London Fashion Week.