An Hermès bag is one of the most coveted and luxurious fashion accessories in the world – and acquiring one requires a great deal of money and influence.
But fashion fans are now thinking twice after learning that some of the rarer designer purses are actually made from elephant skin.
‘I was today years old when I learned about the existence of ELEPHANT skin Hermès Birkins and Kellys,’ writer Louis Pisano shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Dozens of other horrified users then took to the comments to share their own thoughts on the rare – but controversial – bag.
‘This is extremely unethical and disgusting,’ declared a fashion fan.
‘Nahhhh elephants are my favorite, I’m definitely with PETA ON THIS ONE!!’ agreed another.
‘What the actual hell???!!!!! Whyy?? Just whyy??? I feel nauseous by this,’ another shocked person wrote.
While there is little information about the elephant skin bags online, a 2017 piece in The Cut spoke with Hermès collector, seller, and consultant Jane Angert, from JaneFinds – a website that specializes in the designer purses.
Fashion fans have been left horrified to learn that some of the rarer bags are made from elephant skin
In the piece, Angert confirmed the existence of bags made of elephant skin.
‘The Hermès elephant-skin Kelly bag was purchased about 15 years ago at the Hôtel Drouot auction in Paris,’ she explained in article.
‘Our client was a close friend of Jérôme Guerrand Hermès and he advised him of its rarity, so he purchased it for his collections,’ she continued.
‘This was the only Kelly in elephant hide available on the market,’ she continued. ‘This skin was from a safari in Africa during the 80s.’
As per the JaneFinds website, an Hermès Kelly black elephant hide bag had sold for $35,000.
The Birkin cannot be bought over-the-counter at an Hermès store, with customers having to build up a shopping history at the brand to even be ‘offered’ a chance to purchase it.
Most of the bags are made from materials such as crocodile and alligator skins, as well as luxe leathers with fancy names like Tadelakt and Monsieur Grainee, with Birkin bags taking a minimum of 18 hours to hand craft.
The ‘basic’ model costs around $11,400 before tax if bought direct from Hermès, while special editions can run into the hundreds of thousands.
However, analysts told The Wall Street Journal to make the pricey purses, it costs Hermès around just $1,000.
‘I was today years old when I learned about the existence of ELEPHANT skin Hermès Birkins and Kellys,’ Louis Pisano wrote, sharing snaps that he’d seen on TikTok
The elephant skin bags were reportedly made in the 1980s
As per Madison Avenue Couture, Birkin bags are crafted from the luxury leathers that Hermès manufactures
Horrified users took to social media to share their thoughts on the rare – but controversial – bag
Dedicated shoppers have gone out of their way to snag the purses, which are made in a limited supply.
Insiders told the Journal that Hermès that shoppers must splurge $10,000 on other goods like shoes and scarves before they’re invited to purchase a basic model.
To be considered for a rare, limited edition purse, Hermès regulars must spend around $200,000 on other items in-store, it is claimed.
As per Madison Avenue Couture, Birkin bags are crafted from the luxury leathers that Hermès manufactures.
Even when the coveted offer is made, shoppers are shown a single bag they’ve been invited to buy and are not allowed to specify its color.
Anyone lucky enough to snag a Birkin from Hermès can sell it to an online reseller for around $23,000, with that retailer then listing it for around $32,000.
Recently, shoppers are going wild over Walmart’s $78 version of the Birkin bag.
The leather purse looks strikingly similar to a Birkin and comes in a range of colors including olive, black, elephant gray, emerald green, ivory white.
