Deeper Luxury Report - WWF UK

the international trade in species that are, or could be,
critically endangered as a result of over-exploitation 100
.
For some species, CITES certificates are needed to
prove that products are derived from captive-bred
populations, rather than wild ones. Nevertheless, illegal
activity persists; for instance, seizures show that some
crocodile skin and snake skin products without CITES
certificates continue to be traded, further endangering
wild populations 101
.
Shahtoosh shawls are made from the fine wool of the
endangered Tibetan antelope, or ‘Chiru’. Because they
must be killed before the wool can be taken, and three
to four animals are needed to make just one shawl,
the demand for these fashion items has driven their
numbers to less than 100,000 in the wild.
Even high-profile species, such as endangered big cats,
are still illegally traded for fashion. In July 2007, the
owner of a London fur shop was convicted for keeping
coats made from the skins of tiger, leopard and ocelot
with intent to sell them. Luxury brands will continue to
be criticised until they provide independent guarantees
of the sustainability and ethical credentials of their
animal-derived products.
The late Ana Carolina Reston
© AP/PA Photos
Corruption
The International Herald Tribune reports that “jewellery,
Swiss watches and other compact but costly goods
are often used as a parallel currency by criminals
because they can easily be resold and are difficult to
trace”. 102
For this reason, the European Commission
included sellers of high value goods – items valued at
€15,000 (£10,400) or more – among the businesses
that will now be required to take steps to avoid helping
money launderers move their illicit funds. Unfortunately,
this does not apply to companies based outside the
EU, including the many luxury brands (particularly of
watches) based in Geneva, Switzerland. There is no
evidence in the corporate responsibility reports or
annual reports of the top ten luxury conglomerates (see
Chapter 6), that they have examined this issue and are
promoting responsible retail practices to avoid enabling
and benefiting from money laundering and corruption.
Marketing and advertising
On 2 August 2006, 22-year-old model Luisel Ramos
died of heart failure as a result of anorexia nervosa while
participating in a Fashion Week show in Montevideo,
Uruguay. Her father told police that she had gone
“several days” without eating before the event. At the
time of her death, Ramos had a body mass index (BMI)
approximately 14.5 and weighed little more than 7
stone (98 lb, 44 kg) despite being 5ft 8in (1.73m) tall.
The World Health Organisation considers people with
a BMI of 16 or less to be suffering from starvation. 103
In subsequent months, other models, including Ana
Carolina Reston died of complications from anorexia –
which, claimed the UK Sunday newspaper,
The Observer, “shone a spotlight on the way the
business treats its models, and more significantly,
on how destructive our current perception of female
beauty can be”. 104
The notion that “thin is beautiful” is
a recent and Western one, fuelled by the global fashion
industry. It is now reshaping notions of beauty from
India to Indonesia. 105
This not only threatens the health
of models, but also of those consumers who feel
compelled to emulate them.
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