London fashion week first of ‘big four’ to ban exotic animal skins

An Hermès blue crocodile skin handbag and a pink crocodile Birkin. Animal rights campaigners said the move sent an important message that exploiting animals for their skins is unethical. Photograph: Guy Bell/Rex/Shutterstock

London fashion week has become the first of the four main fashion weeks to ban exotic animal skins from shows from 2025 – the biggest industry event to do so.

All designers staging fashion shows at the event will have to commit to ditching skins of animals such as crocodiles, alligators and snakes from their collections.