Daniel Lee is the new Chief Creative Officer at Burberry.
The rumor mill has been brewing since the beginning of September that Lee will take over as designer for Riccardo Tisci. It is now clear that the former creative director of Bottega Veneta is coming to the British fashion house. He will take up his new position on October 3, Burberry announced on Wednesday. Reporting directly to Burberry Managing Director Jonathan Akeroyd, Lee will be based at Burberry’s London headquarters.
“I am delighted to have Daniel join Burberry as our new Chief Creative Officer,” said Akeroyd. “Daniel is an exceptional talent with a unique understanding of today’s luxury consumer and a strong track record, and his appointment underscores the ambitions we have for Burberry.”
Born in Bradford, England, the designer took on the role of Creative Director at Bottega Veneta in July 2018. He breathed new life into the Italian fashion house and attracted a younger target group. He also established the bright shade of green ‘Kelly Green’ in the brand’s DNA, first seen in the Fall 2019 collection.
In November last year, the paths between the Italian fashion house and Lee suddenly parted. He then went quiet until speculation arose that he could help Phoebe Philo build her brand and then Burberry came into play earlier this month.
Before Bottega Veneta, he worked for Celine and was most recently responsible for the design of the ready-to-wear collections. Other stations were Maison Margiela, Balenciaga and Donna Karan.
Daniel Lee takes over for Riccardo Tisci
At Burberry, he succeeds Riccardo Tisci, who is leaving the company at the end of the month, according to a separate Burberry announcement. His contract would have expired in early 2023 anyway. Tisci joined Burberry from Givenchy in March 2018, where he would bring his ability to “combine streetwear with high fashion”, explained then-CEO Marco Gobbetti. In his almost five years at the British fashion house, he renewed the brand image and modernized the range to reach a younger audience and revived the ‘Thomas Burberry’ monogram This week he showed his latest collection for Burberry.
Akeroyd, who joined Burberry from Versace last October, is confident that Lee is now the right designer for Burberry’s next step: “I look forward to working closely with him and am confident that he will be in this next one phase, with the support of our talented and experienced teams, will achieve the impact we aspire to,” said the Managing Director.
Lee can already show what this next phase will look like in February, when he will send his first collection onto the catwalk at London Fashion Week.
“I am honored to join Burberry as Chief Creative Officer. Together with the team, we will write the exciting next chapter for this iconic British luxury brand, continuing its historical legacy and building on Riccardo’s legacy,” said Lee. “I am very much looking forward to returning to London, a city that is synonymous with groundbreaking creativity and which continues to inspire me.”