Maria Poonlertlarp Shares the Naked Truth About the Cruel Leather Industry in New PETA Campaign

Maria Poonlertlarp Shares the Naked Truth About the Cruel Leather Industry in New PETA Campaign

Bangkok — In a new PETA campaign released today, Thai-Swedish model and actress Maria Poonlertlarp—star of The Face Thailand and former Miss Universe Thailand—exposes the suffering that cows and other animals endure in the leather industry. In the stunning ad, Poonlertlarp’s “skin” is being “torn off” next to the words: “Leather Is a Rip-Off. เลือกความงามที่มีคุณค่า ไม่ต้องแลกมาด้วยชีวิตของใคร”.

Credit: PETA
High-resolution versions of the ad in different sizes are available here.

In an accompanying video spot, Poonlertlarp shares that she used to wear and model leather, but never considered the pain and fear that went into her handbags, belts, and shoes. “Once I saw how much animals had to endure, having their lives taken… once I knew the process behind it, the suffering of these animals, it made me question how people could do this,” she says in the video. “People can make leather from pineapple leaves or cactus, which look and feel almost identical. There are so many choices now!”

Cows have friends and mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other, but those used in the leather industry are subjected to extreme cruelty, including being bashed in the head with sledgehammers, having their faces burned with hot irons, and being electroshocked. All vegan leathers—whether synthetic or plant-based—also have a lower impact on climate change and contribute far less to water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions than cow-derived leather. Vegan leather is available at Nike, Central Department Store and Bata.

The ad was shot by photographer Nin Narint, with hair by Rapeepong Poothavornsub and makeup by Woranan Yaowarat. Poonlertlarp joins a growing list of celebrities—including Praya Lundberg, Maggie Q, and Joaquin Phoenix —who have teamed up with PETA entities to promote kinder choices.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone. For more information, please visit PETAAsia.com or follow PETA Asia on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Contact:

Chalida Ponrawee 096-4454899; [email protected]
Keith Guo +852 6048-5802; [email protected]

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