Nicki Minaj has earned praise from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) following the release of a sneaker collection in collaboration with LØCI.
Last week, the New York City native unveiled 11 new designs as part of her inaugural drop with the vegan shoe brand, about which she wrote on social media: “This isn’t a sponsorship. I’m an owner.”
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On Tuesday (April 16), the 41-year-old MC received a co-sign from the animal-rights organization for her ethical approach to fashion and footwear.
“No animals suffered for this line!” an Instagram visual shared by the nonprofit entity reads. “The collab with Loci uses recycled bottles, recycled nylon & brass, cork, bamboo, & bio leather instead of animal-derived materials!”
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“Calling all the [ribbon emoji] barbs [ribbon emoji],” they added in the caption. “We’re excited to see that @nickiminaj’s new line of #vegan sneakers spared cows & other animals by not using leather [applause emoji].”
Contrarily, Pharrell was publicly called out by PETA last year after he introduced a new luxury item for Louis Vuitton that was deemed unethical due to its components.
In early November, the LV men’s creative director launched the Millionaire Speedy bag, priced at a whopping $1,000,000. The listing boasts its source material of crocodile skin, which a number of animal-rights activists have taken issue with.
PETA Senior VP Lisa Lange directly addressed the Virginia native in an open letter soon after the product dropped.
“When you were made men’s creative director of Louis Vuitton, we hoped animals would get lucky and that you would choose vegan fabrics, which are the preference of today’s ethical and environmentally conscious consumers,” she began. “But we aren’t happy to note your newest design, the ‘Millionaire’ Speedy bag, which is crafted from crocodile skin, because when it comes to animals being used for fashion, it isn’t beautiful — it’s abuse.”
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After detailing the cruel conditions under which such goods are made, she concluded: “We’d like to invite you on a less-than-luxurious tour of a filthy (for that’s what they are) crocodile factory farm with us to see the living origins of your ‘Millionaire’ bag.
“You’d want to bring along nose plugs and high boots to wade through fetid, waste-filled water. If we go to an indoor tank, also bring a flashlight, because you won’t see daylight. There are no blurred lines here. Killing wildlife for a bag isn’t cool — it’s cold. Are you up for this trip?”
