Fashion: Katrina may hit French fashion industry

Hurricane Katrina is likely to have an effect on the French fashion industry.

Fashion houses fear they will be hit by a shortage of Louisiana alligator hides in coming months.

Louisiana furnishes 300,000 alligator hides, used to make expensive watch straps, shoes, handbags and brief cases. About 80 percent of the skins come from hunted animals, while alligator farms in the region supply the rest.