Subcultures have always played an important role in the fashion world: big brands take and rework them according to their own style vision. But the phenomenon of the so-called ‘chavs’ had such an impact, both aesthetic and economic wise, especially on a historic and elite brand like Burberry, to represent truly a unique case. During the years the English fashion house has had its ups and downs, and after having been the most desired and copied brand of the 2000s, is now having to deal with the elimination of unsold goods worth 32 millions euros.
Who are the chavs
In every English neighborhood, there are those kids who speak in slang, smell like beer all the time and only wear designer tracksuits (adidas, Sergio Tacchini, Fila, whether they're real or knock-offs it doesn't really matter), white sneakers and caps. Well, those are chavs. The origin of the word ‘chav’ is still very discussed and controversial, but it seems to come from the Romani language and it would mean ‘child’. At the beginning, the term was used above all in Northern England, but in a very short period of time it spread all over the United Kingdom. ‘Chav’ is first used in 1998 and by 2002 it’s on all the newspapers.
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