Burberry announces Yorkshire-born Daniel Lee as its next creative director

Fashion house Burberry has revealed that Daniel Lee will replace Riccardo Tisci as the next creative director starting early next week.

Tisci, 48, has led a transformative but tumultuous stint at the British clothing superpower since he became head of creative four years ago, after spending more than a decade in the same role at Givenchy.

Meanwhile, a native of Bradford, Yorkshire, Lee was a virtually unknown outside of the fashion world before becoming the creative director at Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta from 2018 to 2021.

He helped revive the company by introducing accessories such as the “pouch” clutch bag, which became the fastest-selling bag in its history and was adorned by models Kylie Jenner and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.

When Tisci joined Burberry, the Italian – who just presented the latest Burberry collection at London Fashion Week – immediately made his mark by introducing a new logo that paid tribute to the company’s founder, Thomas Burberry.

He ended the use of fur in the group’s clothing, expanded the range of sportswear and streetwear, targeted a younger audience and launched campaigns involving supermodel Gisele Bündchen.

But the group was thrown off course by the pandemic, causing a massive global downturn in the apparel sector as consumers stayed at home and luxury hospitality events were canceled.

Trade has revived as lockdown restrictions have eased, but sales in China, one of Burberry’s largest markets, have been heavily impacted this year by the country’s zero-covid policy.

Demand outside mainland China, however, continued to recover, with sales of leather goods and outerwear growing by double digits in the first quarter on the back of strong demand for the Lola range of handbags, jackets and rainwear.

Cool: Burberry shares were the biggest gainer on the FTSE 350 Wednesday morning after announcing Daniel lee would become the new creative director

Burberry CEO Jonathan Akeroyd said Tisci had “improved our creative language, modernized and expanded our product offering and brought a new generation of luxury customers to our brand.”

He added that Lee was “an exceptional talent with a unique understanding of today’s luxury consumer and a strong track record of commercial success, and his appointment reinforces the ambitions we have for Burberry.”

At Bottega Veneta, the brand brought square-toe shoes back into fashion, replacing monthly fashion shows with private ‘Salon’ events and launched a digital magazine after closing its social media accounts.

Bottega Veneta’s revenue grew significantly during Lee’s relatively short tenure, from around €1.2 billion in 2019 to more than €1.5 billion two years later.

It was one of the few luxury fashion houses owned by French conglomerate Kering, with brands like Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga, reporting a sales increase in 2020.

Following the announcement of Lee’s appointment this morning, Burberry Group shares were the highest risers on the FTSE 350 Index, rising 3.3 percent to 1,740.5p.

His arrival comes just days after Burberry announced that Julie Brown would step down as Chief Operating and Financial Officer next April.

Brown will take on the position of chief executive at GlaxoSmithKline, making the pharmaceutical company the largest London-listed company with a female boss.