Is this why Burberry is burning its surplus stock? 15 times loaded celebs made the brand look tacky
Money can't always buy class, as these shots of Daniella Westbrook, Victoria Beckham, Rita Ora and Kim Kardashian show
BURBERRY has come under fire today for burning their surplus stock - with £28 million going to waste last year.
To put it into context, that’s 20,000 of its notoriously expensive trench coats.
It’s one of Britain’s most famous fashion designers, but the shocking waste comes amid claims luxury brands destroy clothes to stop the “wrong people” buying them on sale, The Times reported.
But, as these pictures of loaded celebs show, money can’t always buy class.
Was it these howlers which inspired Corrie's Brooke Vincent to don Burberry when she dressed as a chav for a fancy dress party?
Burberry has destroyed a huge £90m worth of clothes over the past five years.
And the sky high figure comes as insiders claim luxury brands destroy unsold products to stop them being sold at discounts prices on the “grey market” to the “wrong people”.
But it’s not ordinary Brits who’ve threatened to hurt the brand’s reputation - it’s their high-profile celeb clients, proving you don’t have to be on a budget to make it look a bit tacky.
Famous for its checked design, the designer label faced a fall from grace when EastEnders actress Danniella Westbrook was pictured wearing head-to-toe Burberry in 2002.
Even her daughter Jody Jenkins, now 16, was wearing a Burberry skirt - while her pram was also covered in the tell-tale print.
While Kylie Jenner, 20, posted a pic of her five-month-old daughter Stormi wearing a Burberry dress yesterday - which immediately reminded us of Danniella’s snap.
The label is also loved by WAGs and football fans, while cheap knock-offs have become increasingly common.
Speaking to the BBC, fashion designer and retailer Alex Eagle said: "The print had been too overexposed and that image shows it became synonymous with ostentatious luxury."
Burberry insisted it strives to act in a “responsible” manner when disposing of stock, and said there were “careful processes” in place to minimise waste - as well as special incinerators used to harness the energy.
But shareholders are said to be unhappy with the amount of stock lost, according to The Times report, with one asking why the unsold clothes weren’t offered to the company’s private investors at a meeting last week.
Burberry, which is valued at £9.6bn by Forbes, claimed destroying stock was common practice across the retail industry.
But the report revealed the value of products destroyed has increased by half over the last two years.
It was previously reported that Richemont, who own Cartier and Montblanc, destroyed more than £400m of watches in two years.
While more than 15 tonnes of H&M stock was burnt last year, helping to power the small Swedish city of Vasteras.
A Burberry spokesperson said: "Burberry has careful processes in place to minimise the amount of excess stock we produce.
"On the occasions when disposal of products is necessary, we do so in a responsible manner and we continue to seek ways to reduce and revalue our waste.
"This is a core part of our Responsibility strategy to 2022 and we have forged partnerships and committed support to innovative organizations to help reach this goal.
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"One example is our partnership with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular Initiative, where we join other leading organisations to work towards a circular fashion economy."
In more fashion news, In The Style now has an under £5 range featuring everything from gingham bodycon dresses to floral co-ords.
And Friends fans can’t get enough of Primark’s £8 ‘we were on a break!’ T-shirt.