Animal attraction
The unique attributes of Australia's exotic animal skins and leathers are getting the creative juices flowing out their in the land of fashion.
There is a growing number of leading fashion designers discovering that Australian crocodile, emu, camel, goat and lizard skins are giving them the ability to create distinctive pieces with international appeal.
Australian skins are offering designers durability, suppleness and distinctive grain patterns that give them the capacity to stand out in the increasingly cluttered fashion, accessory and footwear market.
According to a productivity inquiry into the textile, clothing, footwear and leather industries conducted in 2003, the industry has consolidated to a small number of players who have progressively changed the nature of their business to develop specialist niche productions for the domestic and export market.
This consolidation has resulted in a fiercely competitive industry and has also forced tanneries to respond quickly to market changes to meet consumer requirements.
Native Australian animals, such as kangaroo, also offer tanneries the chance to own a niche part of the buoyant international market. Kangaroo leather products are a favourite among fashion designers, as the leather is renowned for its strength, and is in particularly high demand within the footwear industry.
And tanneries supplying the likes of the fashion industry are enjoying support from the Australian Government, which has acknowledged that there is a need to maintain and support the industry so that it can focus on developing a globally competitive niche.
No surprises there given that Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia figures show that the industry is worth $200 million to the local economy each year and directly employs 4000 people, often in remote areas with few other employment opportunities.
The Queensland Government, for example, is working in conjunction with the Federal Government to continuously improve Australian exotic skins and leather products to ensure they meet the highest standards set by the fashion industry. It says it is working in conjunction with other government bodies to expand export markets for Australian camel, crocodile, emu and goat skins and leathers in particular.
Such government support has enabled luxury Australian accessory designer Estilo to acquire special licenses to source and produce exclusive leathers and skins, such as crocodile, deer and ostrich.
Estilo says the perfect blend between fabrics, leathers and skins are key looks this season.
Unfortunately the Australian-based spin queen at super-luxurious retailer Hermes was unwilling to add any weight to the debate, saying that given its apparel is made off-shore, it was unable to comment.
However fledgling Australian accessories label Agatha & Me was far more forthcoming.
The range, which specialises in handmade shoes and accessories, features Australian-farmed leathers including kangaroo, emu, barramundi, saltwater crocodile and Ostrich leather.
25-year-old designer Vanessa Rowed, who recently nabbed the Debut Accessory award at the recent Fashion Exposed trade fair in Sydney, says the Australian fashion industry had access to high quality leathers and that she wanted to support the local industry.
"Kangaroo leather is one of the best leathers in the world for footwear. Australian designers tend not to use it due to its high price point, but the quality is amazing. We use these leathers because they offer unique and interesting textures, however they also support our label being 100 per cent Australian owned and manufactured.
"And Australian saltwater crocodile is the highest quality crocodilian skin in the world. It has an extra row of scales and has the smallest scale of pattern of any crocodile, which allows for some amazing applications with our designs."
Rowed currently exports to the US and Canada, and Australian-produced leathers have enabled her to create a point of difference that helps distinguish her label and range from the myriad of competing brands on the market.
Rowed believes the growth in the use of leathers stems from a designer's constant pursuit to search for a point of difference.
"It just seems that exotic skins are popular at the moment."
But despite the allure of soft, exotic leathers and skins, the fact that those in fashion industry who choose to utilise animal skins can come up against a huge amount of public scrutiny from animal rights campaigners can't be ignored.
Organisations such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and other independent animal rights campaigners are constantly on the back of the fashion industry to stop using animal skins, leather and fur.
Dolce & Gabbana, for example, alarmed conservationists with its extravagant use of python and zebra skin featured at a runway show in Milan back in 2004 when the unique animal skins were used to create bags, boots, jeans, ballet pumps and even hats.
The luxury label's designers explained that an African safari had provided the inspiration for its range and that the pythons had been legitimately farmed, but the reasoning didn't go down too well with PETA, which promptly urged the public to have a heart and steer clear of the range for ethical reasons.
But Dolce & Gabbana weren't exactly breaking the mould when searching out unusual animal skins to feature in their range. The D&G designers come in a long list of labels to promote exotic skins as a must-have fashion item, with designers such as Robert Cavalli, Gianfranco Ferre, Chloe, Luella Bartley and Calvin Klein to have been there before them.
And while WWF-Australia is another conservation organisation with a worldwide reach, it is far less conservative than PETA, with a spokesman quoted as saying that it was up with consumers to be vigilant about the source of animal skins.
However PETA spokespeople are often somewhat more radical in their views.
"I'll gladly bare some of my skin if it will help save animals' skins," US-based PETA member Allie Sullivan is quoted as saying on the organisation's website.
"With all the luxurious alternatives available, there's absolutely no excuse to wear animal skins."
And yes, fashion designers should have ethical concerns when using animal leathers, says Rowed.
She points out the barramundi leather she uses is a bio-product from human consumption.
"All our leathers are sourced from approved programs under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. This is important to protect our native animals."
Did you know?
* In 2001, Australia exported $US1,274 ($A1,560) worth of sheep or lamb skin leather to overseas countries
* Goat leather is available in a variety of colours. It is usually tanned offshore, but can also be tanned in Australia
* Emu leg leather is reptilian in appearance, and is similar to ostrich leg leather, but smaller in size. Its unique appearance makes it ideal for shoe trimmings, watchbands and accessories
* Kangaroos are among the most abundant large wild mammal on earth, with a population of 58.6 million recorded in 2002. Kangaroo leathers are becoming increasingly popular with fashion designers
* Kangaroo numbers are estimated every year by Government authorities to determine a sustainable quota to harvest - which is usually between 10 to 12 per cent of total population.