When news broke earlier this year that Hermes had begun breeding their own alligators at a reptile farm in Australia, one could only assume that the demand for the exotic skin had risen to a high point. Such has not been the case for everyone, though.
In fact, it seems that Hermes is the only one to see an increase in sales for croc skin products. A recent article from the New York Times details how alligator farmers are suffering as other designers in the fashion industry have begun to move away from using the tanned exotic leather hides due to increasingly rising costs.
Manolo Blahnik is just one company who is finding the price of the alligator hides too high to justify the use of the product since the economy can’t really support rising costs for luxury fashion.
“Every time I go to Neiman Marcus and say every year the price is going up, they fight me tooth and nail,” said George D. Malkemus III, the president of Manolo Blahnik. “They say, ‘I’m not going to spend $4,000 for an alligator shoe.’“
I’d have to agree with Neiman Marcus on that one. Somehow, though, Hermes continues to churn out their alligator Birkin and Kelly bags without blinking an eye and doesn’t seem fazed by alligator farmers’ accusations that it’s been hoarding skins.
[Source: NY Times]
[Image: wallyg/Flickr]
