Crocodile skin is begging to grow into a popular material in luxury brands. In 2010, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton gained control of Singapore’s Heng Long International Ltd, providing skins for Fendi, Céline and Louis Vuitton. Now, Women’s Wear Daily reports that an elite producer of tanned skins located in Normandy, France Croco, was recently acquired by Kering, a French luxury and retail group previously known as PPR. With this acquisition, Kering’s goal is to support it’s brands such as Gucci, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen with France Croco’s top quality skins. The company will invest in the French Croco in the next few month to increase its production capacity.
France Croco was founded in 1974 by Jacques Lewkowicz and is currently managed by his son, Dan Lewkowicz. The French crocodile leather manufacturer supplies fashion accessories such as watch straps, leather goods, shoes and ready-to-wear items to the world’s best known Italian and French fashion companies. Europe’s fast-growing makers of luxury goods are securing raw materials such as exotic skins, which has quickly emerged as key strategic boost.
According to Kering, France Croco’s sourcing activities “set high standards for sustainability and conservation of wildlife species.”
Kering currently owns Caravel Pelli Pregiate, an Italian tannery specializing in precious skins. The French group expressed their intentions to expand France Croco’s production capacity and to maintain its current suppliers and customers.
By Pia Talwar