Animal rights campaigners may have convinced many fashion houses and fashionistas to shun fur, but snake, crocodile and lizard skins are still hot commodities. In the last few seasons they've made a comeback onto the runways of Paris, London and New York.

These products are big earners for luxury brands. A designer snakeskin bag can fetch three times more than one made from cow leather. Yet the likes of Chanel and Victoria Beckham have banned them from their collections, and high-end retailers such as Selfridges have said they will no longer stock products made from exotic skins.