One of the top online searches on Saturday was "ostrich hide".
Amid political bickering and government response following a report that Nirav Modi is living in London, a jacket with a pattern of bumps on the fugitive diamantaire intrigued the social media. It was reported that the piece of luxury on Nirav was ostrich hide and cost about Rs 9 lakh.
In no time, memes filled the Twitter space, with many confessing that they had no clue about ostrich hide or ostrich leather. "How do people know that Nirav Modi was wearing an ostrich leather jacket? I didn't even know something like that exists," wrote @abhian.
"Ostriches run really fast. Perhaps that's the reason why #NiravModi has an Ostrich Hide jacket," posted @maggi2noodles, referring to his alleged role in the Rs 13,000-crore Punjab National Bank scam.
Despite his bank accounts being frozen in India and an Interpol red notice being issued for his arrest, Nirav is now involved in a new diamond business based in London, the report said.
Ostrich leather is one of the world's most expensive and has a quill pattern that looks like polka dots to the undiscerning eye. According to the American Ostrich Organisation, "Ostrich leather offers itself as one of the toughest, but most pliable skins in the world. Full of natural oils, ostrich leather resists drying, cracking and stiffness."
"The horrendous ostrich skin jacket is reason enough for the UK to extradite #NiravModi to India," tweeted a user with handle @nation_2019. Another expressed disgust, for killing the flightless birds for luxury. User @vinaygar posted, "Ugh! Just imagine skinning an ostrich and then stitching it's skin to make a jacket. Revolting!"
What’s Ostrich Hide
- Tanning skins taken from African ostriches farmed for their feathers, skin and meat.
- One of the most expensive leathers in the world. The pattern looks like polka dots
- It’s full of natural oils, resists drying, cracking and stiffness
