A Japanese zoo has taken the fierce catwalk to a wild new level, using some of its inhabitants to fashion the jeans.The facility northeast of Tokyo has unveiled "Zoo Jeans", styled by the fangs and claws of lions, tigers and bears.
Zoo officials said the material held up well, with all things carefully considered. "We wrapped several pieces of denim around tyres and other toys. Once they were thrown into the enclosures, the animals jumped on them," said zoo director Nobutaka Namae. The pieces were later patched together to create the finished product."The wild rips and tears in Zoo Jeans have been created with pure animal instinct," added the director.
The idea came from a Tokyo advertising executive who wanted to give something back to the zoo where he spent time as a child, Namae added.Two pairs of jeans ripped by lions and a tiger-destroyed version are being auctioned on the Internet with proceeds to be donated to the zoo and the conservation group WWF.The jeans were sold on Yahoo's Japanese auction site — with a pair of lion-distressed denim selling for $1,500. The Mineko Club said all profits went to the zoo and the WWF.
