American Wild Alligator

One of the world's most trusted luxury leathers

Ethical production & consumption

Piper & Skye's alligator leather is proudly sourced and tanned in the USA. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries (LDWF) has fine tuned a scientific management program to maintain a healthy and stable alligator population while creating a sustainable certified farming industry in Louisiana. Each farmer must prove compliance with science based animal welfare standards, established by the government.

Tagged & traced for 

transparency

Each certified LDWF farm is issued CITES alligator tags only for the number housed at the farm. Each tag is registered for detailed record keeping that LDWF maintains, and to ensure legal farming and trade practises. When shipped out of state for the purpose of commerce, each tagged leather is checked and verified seven times with LDWF.

Growing conservation & circularity

All fees collected from CITES tags go towards alligator sustainable farming management programs, education and conservation efforts to ensure the health and stability of the species' population. 

  • RAW MATERIAL SELECTION CRITERIA
  • ANIMAL WELFARE

Piper & Skye embodies the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources within its stringent Material Selection Criteria. We work with our suppliers to ensure that management of the species is overseen by a governing body, which seeks to ensure the healthy and thriving biodiverse ecosystem in which the species lives. Our objective has always been to design luxury handbags that have the smallest possible environmental impact. The first step in this journey is the careful selection of materials that satisfy our material selection criteria. For example, using pirarucu which is a byproduct of a natural food source, makes more efficient use of the whole fish while simultaneously ensuring that the skins do not end up in a landfill or being burned.  The following are the items we require in order to proceed with a certain raw material.


  • The species has to be in over-population in its natural habitat.

  • The species has to be used as a food source somewhere in the world.

  • The skins and leathers would be considered a waste product (headed for a landfill) unless passed-on to designers and artisans who create beautiful handbags and accessories with them.

  • Management of the species is overseen by a governing body (CITES, Fish and Wildlife Licensing, etc.) which seeks to ensure the healthy and thriving ecosystem in which the species lives.

  • There is no undue suffering in any form during the process of culling, fishing, or otherwise. 

  • We require that no hazardous or toxic chemicals are used in the tanning or dyeing processes. 

    We abide by the Five Freedoms originally defined by the UK’s Farm Animal Welfare Council:
    • Freedom from Hunger and Thirst 
    • Freedom from Discomfort

    • Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease

    • Freedom to Express Normal Behavior

    • Freedom from Fear and Distress

We are committed to sustainable sourcing when it comes to our material selection criteria. Our American wild alligator comes with its own sustainability story. Through the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries (LDWF) extensive research, sustainable wild harvest and alligator farming, Louisiana’s wild alligator population has increased from less than 100,000 to more than 2 million in the past 50 years.


Researchers realized that to restore the alligator population, its wetland habitat must be saved. Since more than 80% of the coastal wetland habitat in Louisiana is privately owned, LDWF developed a controlled wild harvest program to provide an economic incentive for landowners to maintain or enhance important wetland habitat and protect alligators. The goals of the LDWF alligator management program is to manage and conserve Louisiana’s alligators as part of the state’s wetland ecosystem and provide benefits to the species, its habitat, and the other species of fish and wildlife associated with alligators. Learn more here.


Thanks to the sustainability success story of American wild alligator, Piper & Skye is proud to create our luxury handbags & accessories with one of the world's most trusted luxury leathers. 

Piper & Skye adheres to the animal welfare principles established by the non-profit organization “Business for Social Responsibility” (BSR Principles). Any Supplier providing us with animal materials shall also adhere to such principles and Piper & Skye's company Animal Welfare Policy.


In addition, Piper & Skye refers to the Terrestrial Animal Health Code published by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for animal welfare standards at an international level. We expect our suppliers to fully comply with these standards and global animal laws.


EXPLORE

Piper & Skye Quality Standards