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Fashion designer Stella McCartney has distanced herself from a row between animal rights campaigners and sportswear giant adidas over the use of kangaroo leather to make shoes.
A statement issued by McCartney's label today said her clothing and accessories offered consumers an alternative to animal products.
"Stella McCartney is a lifelong vegetarian and committed advocate of animal rights and doesn't use any leather or fur in any of her collections, including of course, her successful adidas by Stella McCartney collections, which are 100 per cent cruelty free," the statement said.
"All the accessories designed in collaboration with adidas are made with alternative to leather: high performance fabrics, which don't use any animal by-products, including kangaroo leather."
The comments come just weeks before McCartney unveils her new sportswear range for adidas at London Fashion Week.
Animal rights campaigners have begun publicly attacking adidas for fuelling the "largest wildlife slaughter in the world" by using kangaroo skins to make football boots.
Animal Aid director Andrew Tyler told The Independent on Sunday newspaper: "On the question of Stella McCartney's alleged silence, we know she opposes animal cruelty and presume she is taking the steps she feels appropriate to press the company to stop the use of kangaroo skins."
McCartney's father, former Beatle Paul McCartney, has previously campaigned for Vegetarians International Voice for Animals (VIVA), while her late mother, Linda, was a well-known animal rights activist.
- AAP
