PARIS: Chanel has become the first luxury fashion house to turn its back on exotic animal pelts such as lizard, crocodile and snakeskin, in a move hailed by animal rights groups Tuesday.
Its head of fashion Bruno Pavlovsky declared that it "would no longer use exotic skins in our future creations", saying it was becoming more difficult to source high-quality pelts ethically.
Handbags, coats and shoes made from snake, alligator and stingray skin command premium prices, with Chanel handbags made from them reportedly selling for up to 9,000 euros ($10,300).
Python skin bags were removed from Chanel's website Tuesday, although secondhand bags were still on sale from more than 5,500 euros from online resale sites.
Animals rights groups cheered the move, with the PETA and the Humane Society International (HSI) claiming that the iconic house founded by Coco Chanel was also renouncing the use of fur.
BREAKING: After decades of PETA pressure, @CHANEL has banned fur and exotic skins from their collections