LONDON — Burberry has named Daniel Lee as its new chief inventive officer. After months of hypothesis, the information got here lower than 48 hours after a runway present from the Italian designer Riccardo Tisci — a group that proved to be his swan track with the British luxurious home.
The appointment, introduced Wednesday, marks the return of a British designer to the highest of Britain’s largest luxurious model by gross sales. The corporate reported 2.8 billion kilos (now, $3 billion) in income for the 12 months ended April 2. It’s also probably the most dramatic change to the home beneath its new chief government, Jonathan Akeroyd.
Mr. Lee, 36, was most just lately inventive director of Bottega Veneta from 2018 till 2021, when his abrupt departure from the Italian label that he had reworked into successful machine shocked the style world, elevating eyebrows. His appointment at Burberry comes six months after the arrival of Mr. Akeroyd, as Burberry appears to reposition itself following the muted success beneath Mr. Tisci and its former chief government, Marco Gobbetti (a fellow Italian).
Mr. Lee, who was born in Bradford within the north of England, will be a part of Burberry on Monday and oversee all Burberry collections, in response to an announcement from the model. He’s to current his debut runway assortment for Burberry throughout London Trend Week in February.
“Daniel is an distinctive expertise with a novel understanding of at this time’s luxurious client and a robust file of economic success,” Mr. Akeroyd stated within the assertion, “and his appointment reinforces the ambitions we have now for Burberry.”
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Mr. Lee, who additionally has labored at Maison Margiela, Balenciaga and Donna Karan and Celine, went from relative unknown to trade famous person in lower than three years at Bottega Veneta, garnering vital acclaim and trade awards. He despatched gross sales hovering due to his slick shoe and purse designs, together with a leather-based pouch and square-toe woven pump. However regardless of his expertise for drumming up industrial success, behind the scenes hypothesis bubbled regularly about his work practices. There was excessive employees turnover and when he left the Italian label final November, no cause was given.
Mr. Tisci, who changed Christopher Bailey, is departing Burberry after nearly 5 years, a interval during which he sought to modernize its choices and brand in addition to to draw youthful, extra numerous clients. Nonetheless hovering costs and slick however soulless designs meant that Burberry by no means fairly reached the heights hoped for by followers and buyers alike — or that Mr. Tisci was capable of create at his earlier job at Givenchy. Burberry additionally had misplaced the hyperlink to its British heritage that had set it aside from each different main luxurious model.
His spring assortment, which was alleged to be proven throughout London Trend Week, was postponed after the loss of life of Queen Elizabeth II. As a substitute, the occasion occurred on Monday — prompting a lot of the style trade to return from reveals in Milan and Paris for a presentation that had a decidedly mournful air.
Mr. Akeroyd, beforehand chief government of Versace and Alexander McQueen, has been vocal since his arrival earlier this 12 months about his want for higher emphasis on Burberry’s Britishness. And Mr. Lee is taken into account one of many largest British design abilities on the planet.
Luca Solca, a luxurious analyst on the analysis agency Sanford C. Bernstein, famous that Mr. Lee “has demonstrated the flexibility to create a extremely profitable new chapter for Bottega Veneta — notably with sneakers and purses — and thus far Burberry has struggled to make its make in these classes and create excessive profile iconic merchandise.”
On Wednesday, Mr. Lee stated in Burberry’s assertion that he was very excited to be returning to London.
“It’s a metropolis that champions pioneering creativity and that continues to encourage me,” he stated. “Along with the group, we’ll write the thrilling subsequent chapter for this legendary British luxurious model.”
