Burberry has announced that Daniel Lee will succeed Riccardo Tisci as its new creative director beginning the next week.
Tisci, 48, has presided over a revolutionary but turbulent period at the British apparel behemoth since becoming creative director four years ago. Before that, he held the same position at Givenchy for nearly a decade.
Before becoming creative director of Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta from 2018 to 2021, Lee, who was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, was almost unknown outside of the fashion industry.
Accessories such as the ‘pouch’ clutch purse, which became the fastest-selling bag in the firm’s history and was worn by models Kylie Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, helped him revitalize the company.
When Tisci joined Burberry, the Italian native introduced a new logo that paid homage to the company’s founder, Thomas Burberry. Tisci just unveiled the current Burberry collection during London Fashion Week.
He eliminated the use of fur in the company’s products, enlarged its athletic and streetwear lines, prioritized appealing to a younger audience, and developed advertisements featuring supermodel Gisele Bündchen.
However, the organization was derailed by the pandemic, which caused a significant worldwide decline in the garment industry as consumers stayed at home and upscale hospitality events were canceled.
The easing of shutdown restrictions has revitalized trade, but sales in China, one of Burberry’s main markets, have been severely hit by the country’s zero-Covid policy this year.
Demand outside the mainland Nonetheless, China has continued to rebound, with leather goods and outerwear sales increasing by double-digit percentages in the first quarter due to increased demand for its Lola handbag collection, jackets, and rainwear.
Jonathan Akeroyd, the CEO of Burberry, stated that Tisci had “improved our creative language, modernized and elevated our product offering, and attracted a new generation of premium buyers to our brand.”
He said that Lee was “an excellent talent with a unique knowledge of today’s luxury customer and a solid track record of commercial success, and his hiring underscores our goals for Burberry.”
During its tenure at Bottega Veneta, the brand reintroduced square-toed heeled shoes, replaced monthly fashion shows with private ‘Salon’ events, and introduced a digital journal after deleting its social media accounts.
During Lee’s very brief tenure, Bottega Veneta’s revenues increased dramatically, from over €1.2 billion in 2019 to over €1.5 billion in 2020.
It was one of the few premium fashion firms owned by the French giant Kering, whose labels include Gucci, Alexander McQueen, and Balenciaga, to post sales growth in 2020.
Following the announcement of Lee’s hiring this morning, Burberry Group shares rose 3.3% to 1,740.5p, the most on the FTSE 350 Index.
His appointment comes only days after Burberry announced that Julie Brown would step down as chief operating and finance officer in April 2019.
Brown will assume the role of chief executive officer of GlaxoSmithKline, making it the largest London-listed company with a female CEO.
