Women Wearing Bikinis Brave the Cold to Stage Protest at Fashion Week

Lauren Sharkey


It wouldn’t be Fashion Week without a PETA protest.

The animal rights organization, which has staged several headline-making protests over the years, sent three models to London Fashion Week to shed light on the use of animal skins in the industry.

The protesters wore nothing but green underwear and crocodile masks and brandished signs reading “Cruelty to Crocodiles Unmasked” and “Animals Die for Exotic Skins.”

A recent PETA investigation of crocodile farms in Vietnam revealed that animals are left alive while their skin was removed. The charity claims these farms supply crocodile skins to a tannery owned by LVMH, the parent company behind Louis Vuitton and other luxury brands.

The three models wore nothing but lingerie and crocodile masks. (Photo: Twitter/PETAUK)
The three models wore nothing but lingerie and crocodile masks. (Photo: Twitter/PETAUK)

“We are here to remind people that crocodiles are not handbags — they are living, feeling beings. When they spend their entire lives on farms before having their throats cut, they suffer,” PETA spokeswoman Kirsty Henderson stated. “You don’t need the skin of crocodiles to make accessories. That’s why we are calling on everyone from London Fashion Week to the public to leave the exotic skins on the shelf.”

The company’s director, Elisa Allen, added: “For every crocodile skin bag or belt, animals were beaten and were likely still conscious as their skin was torn off. With so many beautiful, luxurious vegan fabrics available, it’s easier than ever to get that killer look without killing animals.”

PETA recently revealed it had brought shares in LVMH so that it can “fight from the inside.” Last year, protesters wore gas masks in a bid to demonstrate the toxic effects of buying and wearing real fur.

The rally, held on Friday, follows a demonstration in New York City during New York Fashion Week. To protest Michael Kors’s use of fur, a “grim reaper” — a giant papier-mâché head created to look like a scary cartoon version of the designer — creeped on shoppers at the brand’s lower Manhattan location.


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