the snake skin trade & the ever-growing conscience of fashion
Oscar Wilde once wrote that ‘fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months;’ a sad but very true point. We buy clothes that are fashionable at that moment and then throw them out before the next season. Some items, however, never go out of fashion; a snake skin handbag for example. Snake skin channels extravagance and decadence; it is a luxury item coveted by many, who do not stop to think about the impact they might be having on the survival of these exotic creatures. And why should they? Snakes don’t have the best reputation; they aren’t particularly cute; they aren’t cuddly or fluffy. They even have terrifying teeth and potentially venom that could kill you in minutes. Whether or not you are a lover of snakes, the truth is that if things carry on the way they are these beautiful creatures may be in serious danger of extinction in the not so distant future. Not only that, but the illegal python skin trade is subjecting thousands of snakes a year to a brutal and inhumane death. This is just not sustainable. 2013 is the year of the snake, so let’s make this a year where we educate ourselves on the illegal goings on in the snake skin industry, and try to make a difference.
I’m not usually one for worrying where my clothes came from, and how they got to me. I wear leather almost every day and it doesn’t bother me in the slightest. I also have no problem with snake skin, the problem I have is the way that snakes are treated and killed in the illegal trade. One way in which the skin is acquired is to pump the snake full of water to loosen the skin. Unfortunately this does not kill them. They are then nailed to a tree by their head and skinned alive; after this they are tossed onto a pile with their predecessors and left to die in the red hot sun, which usually takes an agonising two days. Some snakes are filled with air from a hose and have their mouths clamped shut, which has the same skin loosening effect. Unfortunately, this doesn’t kill them either.
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) monitors the illegal python skin trade, and unfortunately they say that it is going to be hard to eradicate it completely. Gucci and other high fashion brands are teaming up with them to help with the situation, and they have proposed that a system should be put in place to track skins from ‘marsh to market’ so any illegal trade can be boycotted; if the demand for illegal skins decreased then so will the need for illegal snake killings. Gucci understand that it is in their best interest to support this cause, as the industry is not sustainable if it carries on this way. They believe that ‘traceability means transparency and transparency means credibility’ and although this might be true, it will not directly eradicate the horrific death of snakes in the wild; this is only the first step.
I am aware that snakes are not the only animals who suffer hardship at the hands of the fashion industry, but they are exotic, and soon to be endangered if things carry on the way they are. We need to be educated on the goings on of these illegal exotic skin industries and Topshop is one brand that is trying to help with that. They recently collaborated with PETA on window installations, one of which reads ‘exotic skins make our blood run cold, join Topshop and leave wildlife out of your wardrobe;’ this shows that even the most popular fashion brands have a heart, and these are the ones that can really make a difference.
This isn’t an article to stop you from ever buying a snake skin accessory. My aim is to make you think about where that accessory came from and what snakes might have gone through to get it to you. Ask if the retailer has a certificate to say the skin is CITES certified, and if not, explain why it should be and why you will not be buying from them. Together we can make a difference and prevent the extinction of a very beautiful animal. Fashion is growing a conscience. Are you?
Niqui Stubbs is a 4th year medical student at the University of Leeds. She has an interest in law and all things animal related, and in her spare time she writes for a London based law firm, because doctors aren’t the only people who can make a difference in the world.
I couldn’t agree more about the cruelty behind the ‘illegal’ snake skin trade. However, you say you care about how snakes are tortured for their skins – but the idea of wearing leather “doesn’t bother you in the slightest.” I understand that the goings on of the leather trade aren’t exactly transparent but neither are the goings on of the snake-skin trade and you obviously did some research into that. If you research the leather trade you will find that cows in the trade are also subjected to extreme cruelty for their skin.
Secondly, you say you’re not against wearing snake skin per se – only when the snakes are killed ‘illegally’ and in a cruel way. But why should any animal be killed, period? Especially for something as needless & extravagant as snakeskin garments? Snake skin has zero practicality and is 100% avoidable – unlike leather which requires some amount of effort to avoid. Why not ask people to give up snake skin? It’s really not that much of a sacrifice.
No animals deserve to have their lives taken away just so people can wear their skins in the name of fashion. You’re writing for a feminist website because women continue to have their rights denied and violated. So do animals – except they also have their lives taken away. Please acknowledge the connection between all forms of oppression – between feminism, racism, disablism, homophobia, transphobia and yes, speciesism. It exists.