Beware pounding this cow piñata …
PETA U.K. wrote to Victoria Beckham, applauding her label’s policies against fur and exotic skins but also sharing a powerful new video asking viewers to open their eyes to the leather trade’s cruelty. The group hopes the gesture—following the designer’s Paris Fashion Week show, disrupted by PETA U.K.—will inspire her to extend compassion to fellow moms by ending her support of the leather industry, which separates desperate mothers from their babies.
Why Victoria Beckham’s Fashion Brand Must Ditch Leather
“Exposés by PETA entities have shown that animal leather is always the product of extreme violence—no matter where it comes from. Much of the skin used for ‘luxury’ fashion comes from calves torn away from their mothers just hours after they were born. As you know, a mother’s instinct to protect her babies is intense. Just like us, cows share a strong, loving bond with their young, and no handbag or jacket can justify the trauma of separation they endure or the horror of the slaughterhouse.”
—Yvonne Taylor, PETA U.K. Vice President of Corporate Projects
More than 1 billion animals exploited annually around the world for leather endure horrific abuse. In India, cows’ tails are routinely broken and irritants like tobacco and chili are rubbed into their eyes to force them to trek up to 60 miles to slaughterhouses.
Inside these horrific facilities all over the world, cows are thrown on bloodied floors with their feet bound. Sometimes their legs are hacked off while they’re still conscious, and some endure the agony of being skinned alive while others are shot in the head before their throats are slit.
Female cows are repeatedly impregnated, and their terrified babies are torn away from them shortly after birth—any item branded as “calf leather” came from the violent separation and slaughter of these babies.
In addition to being extremely cruel, leather production is terrible for the planet. Each year, the global leather industry produces nearly 150,000 acres of effluent—liquid waste often dumped into rivers and seas. Industry studies show that cow leather is fashion’s most environmentally damaging material—over 90% of the damage occurs before the skins even reach the tannery, where over 170 unique chemicals are then used.
How Victoria Beckham Fashion Can Be Compassionate
With its letter, PETA U.K. sent samples of innovative plant-based leathers—made from olives, grapes, and cacti as well as a plastic-free plant leather called Mirum—urging the fashion icon to use such animal- and planet-friendly materials in future collections.
Fashion shows dazzle with their glamour and excitement, but behind the scenes, a heartbreaking truth lurks: the exploitation of animals for the sake of fashion. Recently, Victoria Beckham’s highly anticipated show became the stage for a poignant protest by PETA activists, shedding light on the cruelty of the fashion industry.
Viva Vegan Leather: PETA storms #VictoriaBeckham catwalk at #ParisFashionWeek
No garment is worth slaughtering and skinning a sensitive animal. @victoriabeckham, wanna be the champion of vegan leather instead? #VBAW24 pic.twitter.com/kOz1qO4pFp
— PETA UK (@PETAUK) March 1, 2024
This is the fifth fashion show disrupted by PETA entities this season. Advocates also stormed the catwalks of Burberry in London, Coach in New York, Fendi in Milan, and Hermès in Paris. Last season, PETA entities disrupted fashion week shows in those same cities to call out the use of animal skins.
These actions haven’t been taken lightly. PETA relentlessly engages designers, including Beckham herself, in dialog, urging them to adopt cruelty-free practices. When pleas fall on deaf ears and ethical alternatives are ignored, disruptions become a last resort.
PETA’s demonstrations aren’t just about runway disturbances. They’re pleas for change. Ethical alternatives like vegan leather offer cruelty-free options without compromising style. Designers need to embrace compassion and sustainability, ending the exploitation of animals for fashion.
What You Can Do
Pledge to never buy or wear leather. Choose kindness and plant-based options instead.
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