Why is Kim Kardashian’s ultra-rare elephant leather Hermès Birkin on All’s Fair so controversial?

Kim Kardashian is no stranger to controversy, but her latest choice in luxury handbags struck a nerve with even her most fashion-forward followers. In the Hulu series All’s Fair, the Skims founder appears in a monochrome grey look from Donna Karan’s autumn 2011 collection, accessorised with an extraordinarily rare Hermès Birkin crafted from elephant leather.\nKardashian is known for her long-standing love affair with Hermès and has a handbag wardrobe filled with them, including several collector’s pieces such as the Himalayan Birkin. A Birkin is already notoriously hard to get direct from the brand, and even the most seasoned Hermès fans may never lay eyes on a Birkin made from elephant hide. It remains one of the rarest materials Hermès has ever used.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nView this post on Instagram\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nA post shared by Daniel Wesson (@birkinjunky)\n\n\n\nWhen luxury expert Daniel Wesson (known online as @birkinjunky) highlighted the bag online, social media erupted. Model and actress Ireland Baldwin, a vocal animal rights activist, reposted an image of Kardashian carrying the bag on her Instagram Story writing, “This is so disgusting and shameful. I don’t understand how these people are supported the way they are.”\nAccording to Hermès handbag sourcing platform Privé Porter, only a handful of these African elephant leather Birkins were ever made. The leather’s pebbled, matte texture is unlike any other in Hermès’ catalogue.\nHermès offers an extensive catalogue of exotic skins, featuring alligator, crocodile, ostrich and lizard. But elephant hide was never officially offered as part of this.\nLuxury commentator Louis Pisano, whose writings have been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, Elle and more, initially ignited the debate over Hermès’ use of elephant leather with an Instagram Reel.\n\nIn his video, Pisano noted that while the exotic material was never officially part of Hermès’ offerings, a few pieces were reportedly produced in the 80s from the hide of an elephant killed by a businessman during a safari. The online personality also revealed that while not much is known about where most of the bags ended up, a rare few have been spotted in the collections of Singaporean socialite Jamie Chua and Xiaoma, the founder of Ginza Xiaoma, a leading Hermès reseller in Asia.\nSeveral of the brand’s other elephant leather pieces were also sold by luxury reseller JaneFinds – one of the largest authentic Hermès dealers – with prices ranging from US$9,500 for a wallet to US$50,000 for a Kelly 35.\n\nPrivé Porter describes these vintage Birkins as “museum-level artifacts” – relics of an era before modern conservation laws. Animal rights groups appear to have differing views. Following Pisano’s viral posts, Peta renewed its long-running criticism of the French house, drawing attention to alleged cruelty within its alligator tanneries.\n“On one hand, these elephant skin Hermès bags are a relic of extreme privilege and rare craftsmanship,” says Pisano in his video. “On the other, it’s a stark reminder of the uncomfortable intersection between luxury, excess and endangered species. It’s a bag that carries more than just a weight in leather. It carries history, controversy, and an unsettling reminder of how far people will go in the pursuit of exclusivity.”\n