For Immediate Release:
July 11, 2016
Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382
David Beckham, Jennifer Lopez, and Rachel Zoe have all enacted policies against the use of ostrich skin in their collections. The news follows the launch of PETA’s ostrich campaign targeting Prada and Hermès.
And since about 85 percent of ostrich skin comes from South Africa, PETA has also recruited South African model David Miller to narrate a short video revealing that the pockmarks unique to ostrich-skin bags and accessories are the result of violently plucking out ostriches’ feathers. PETA’s video exposé—which also shows that workers flip the large, intelligent birds upside down in stun machines and slit their throats—can be viewed here.
Miller, who has appeared in ad campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Valentino, and Tommy Hilfiger, says, “It’s a myth that ostriches bury their heads in the sand. But as consumers, we often do.”
For more information, please visit PETA.org.
