Professor promoting alligator leather in fashion

on Friday,August 26,2011 18:08

Lisa McRoberts is an ecology professor at the Louisiana State University, and is working with the Louisiana Alligator Council to promote the use of Grade 3 alligator skin in fashion, according to The Daily Reveille.

McRoberts received a $107,000 grant from the council to promote the use of Grade 3 alligator skins instead of Grade 1. Louisiana kills alligators in order to maintain the ecological balance in the bayou. The meat is used but the skins are usually thrown away.

"From an ecological standpoint, we don't want to waste them," McRoberts told the news source.

The school was also given some hinds of the animal to work with. Fashion design students at the university are excited to use the material as well. One student explained that it was good to use an entirely different textile, the media outlet reports.

Individuals who are interested in fashion design may want to know what the average professional makes as a salary. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, professionals in this field make around $61,000, which was the median annual salary in 2008.