Victoria Beckham drops exotic skins from fashion collections

Victoria Beckham is the latest fashion designer to turn her back on the use of exotic skins.

The British creative's eponymous fashion empire has announced it will no longer use exotic skins in its collections, beginning with its upcoming Fall 2019 range, WWD reports.

"As a business, we have been looking to action the use of more ethically sourced products that have less environmental impact for some time," a brand spokesperson told the publication. "We are happy to confirm that we will cease using exotic skins in all future collections as of our main fall 2019 ready-to-wear presentation. This decision reflects the wishes of not only the brand, but also that of our customers."

The move is the latest evidence that exotic skins and animal furs are falling permanently out of fashion. Last December, the French powerhouse Chanel revealed that it was abandoning the use of skins such as crocodile, lizard, snake and stingray in its creations, as well as animal fur, with the brand explaining: "This is a decision which provides an opportunity to create a new generation of high-end products that respect our fundamentals: the exceptional creativity of our Creative Studio, our expertise, our standards of excellence, noble and innovative materials and exceptional finish."

Fashion labels have been abandoning the use of fur, in particular, in droves over the past year, as consumers become more aware of the animal rights issues involved in the practice. Jean-Paul Gaultier, Coach, Diane Von Furstenberg, Burberry, John Galliano, DKNY and Donna Karen all recently announced plans to drop the material from their business practices, while multiple fashion brands such as Stella McCartney and Armani have been fur-free for some time. The Victoria Beckham label has always taken an anti-fur stance, but this latest move will no doubt appease animal rights-conscious fashionistas even further.