Fashion has always been a niche part of human society- but what happens when it goes too far? Recently, the Federal Police in Brazil reported that a human hand, along with human placenta was shipped off to Singapore. The authorities conducted this operation against human trafficking on the premises of Amazonas State University. The law enforcement has stated that the organs were for Indonesian Arnold Putra. According to reports, the designer sold garments and other fashion products using human materials. Disgusting, isn’t it? Well, after fighting against animal cruelty, guess it’s time for human cruelty as well.
The Brazilian Federal Police had mostly worked on tip-offs at the Amazonas University. Incidentally, they had raided the anatomy lab at the school which led to the discovery. According to the statement, an anatomy professor preserved the organs. The process used for the preservation- plastination– used silicon and epoxy. This would be used to replace fat and other bodily fluids to preserve the ‘humane’ raw materials. The fashion industry would later use them.
A Fashionista With Questionable Morals- Arnold Putra
The statement from the police read, “The anatomy lab of a local university performed the extraction of body fluids. There are indications that a package containing a hand and three placentas of human origin were posted from Manaus to Singapore.” A law enforcement officer later affirmed these points. In an interview with VICE, the officer further stated that the organs had already left Brazil. Currently, they are in transit to Singapore for fashion. Also, it was pretty unclear whether authorities have managed to intercept the package.
Although the university refused to comment, several reports have surfaced. The police stated that a member of the staff received a suspension. The professor- whom the authors are currently investigating- could be looking at jail time. The authorities have been trying to determine whether international human trafficking has actually taken place. If they confirm it, the professor would be in prison for at least 8 years.
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The Anatomy Of ‘Human’ Fashion- A Bag Made of Bones
The statement from the officials stated, “The rectory of the University of Amazonas compiled with the court order and determined the opening of the investigation to investigate the facts and responsibilities.”
While such an investigation is necessary, the entire black market is similar to the hydra. It is pretty hard to cut off all the heads individually. As it stands, the demand for human products is quite immense in fashion. While organ trafficking definitely remains illegal, the law differs from country to country. The UN-conducted reports on crime prevention attested to this.
In Brazil, human trafficking is punishable by law since the court does not find someone’s bag made of human skin to be something impressive. A case that came out in 2011 saw authorities charge three doctors in the country with murder. They had allegedly killed three of their patients in Sao Paulo. And, to add to that, they had removed their kidneys for trafficking.
As far as this package is concerned, it belongs to Arnold Putra. If you don’t know, Putra was the fashion designer who received notoriety in 2020 because he decided to fashion a handbag out of human bones. While he did claim that the product was ethical and legal, he might not have the same footing now.
For the Love of God- Or Is It Fashion?
Interestingly, the art world isn’t a stranger to using human blood, organs, or flesh. One artist, Anthony-Noel Kelly, was imprisoned for smuggling human remains [2]. In 2007, Damien Hirst went on to create a platinum human skull cast. This, he filled with diamonds, and titled “For The Love Of God”. It sold for 100 million dollars [3].
Putra also managed to spark controversy in Indonesia after he wore an outfit that was quite mocking. His outfit was inspired by a paramilitary group with far-right leanings [4]. While he thought he was making a fashion statement- that wasn’t the case. The paramilitary group had been a major player in the genocide in Indonesia during the 1960s.
Of course, Putra is no stranger to odd creations. In 2016 he designed a 5000 dollar ‘one of a kind’ handbag made from alligator tongues and an “ethically sourced” human spine [5]. You can see it in the Instagram post below.
While VICE did reach out to Putra for comments on organ trafficking allegations, he didn’t respond. However, The fashion designer did inform VICE back in January that he would be traveling to Singapore for the Lunar New Year celebrations.
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Sources
- “Human Organs Harvested in a Lab for Fashion Designer, Brazilian Police Say.” VICE. Heather Chen. February 23, 2022.
- “Jail for sculptor who stole body parts” Independent. April 4, 1998.
- “Hirst’s diamond skull sells for $100 million” Reuters. August 30, 2007.
- “This Designer Wore a Far-Right Paramilitary Outfit to Paris Fashion Week” VICE. January 26, 2022.
- “A flamboyant Instagram fashion star is selling a handbag he says is made from a human spine ‘ethically sourced’ from Canada” Insider. April 13, 2020.