Burberry names Daniel Lee as new chief creative officer

Following months of speculation, Burberry has confirmed that Riccardo Tisci is out as chief creative officer, and British designer Daniel Lee, who helped to revive Bottega Veneta is in.

In a statement, Burberry said that Lee will join the heritage brand on October 3. He will be based at Burberry’s headquarters in London and report to the company’s new chief executive officer, Jonathan Akeroyd.

Burberry added that Lee will oversee all Burberry collections, and he will present his debut catwalk collection at London Fashion Week in February 2023.

Commenting on the appointment, Akeroyd, who joined Burberry in March as chief executive, said: "Daniel is an exceptional talent with a unique understanding of today's luxury consumer and a strong record of commercial success, and his appointment reinforces the ambitions we have for Burberry.

“I am excited about working closely with him and I am confident he will have the impact we are aiming for in this next phase, supported by our talented and experienced teams."

Born and raised in Bradford, UK, Lee is an award-winning designer who graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2010 and is described by Burberry as “one of the most exciting British creative talents of his generation”.

Daniel Lee joins Burberry as chief creative officer in October

From 2018 to 2021, Lee served as creative director at Bottega Veneta, where he helped reinvigorate the Italian luxury brand. Before that, he was director of ready-to-wear design at Celine, which he joined in 2012, and he has also worked at Maison Margiela, Balenciaga and Donna Karan.

In 2019, Lee was recognised at the British Fashion Awards, winning Brand of the Year, Designer of the Year, Accessories Designer of the Year and Womenswear Designer of the Year, the first time in the Award's history that a brand and designer have won all awards on the same night.

On joining Burberry, Lee said: "Together with the team, we will write the exciting next chapter for this legendary British luxury brand, continuing its historic heritage and building on Riccardo's legacy. I am very excited to be returning to London, a city that champions pioneering creativity and that continues to inspire me."

When Lee abruptly left Bottega Veneta in November 2021, there was speculation he was returning to work alongside Phoebe Philo at her new namesake label, however, that move never materialised. Then this summer, rumours began that Burberry was talking to several British designers about replacing Riccardo Tisci.

Riccardo Tisci steps down as chief creative officer at Burberry

In a separate statement, Burberry said that Tisci, who has been with the brand for almost five years, would be stepping down from his role as chief creative officer at the end of this month. His spring/summer 2023 collection, presented in London this week, was his last for the brand.

Commenting on leaving Burberry, Tisci said: "Burberry is a very special place with a magical past and a very promising future. The chapter I was asked to write in its long story is one that I am incredibly proud of and one I have decided would culminate with my show on Monday.

“I thrived to continue a legacy of innovation, and consistently championed for creativity and diversity, in order to always keep Burberry moving forward. I want to thank my teams, past and present, and the army of collaborators and friends who helped me write a chapter that I hope will stay in Burberry's future for years to come."

Under Tisci’s creative leadership, Burberry said that he had re-energised the company’s brand image with the introduction of a new visual identity and had revived the Thomas Burberry monogram. He also helped the heritage brand modernise and elevate its product offering, “attracting a younger, more diverse and fashion-forward community of customers, and aligned the customer experience to its luxury positioning”.

Akeroyd added: "Riccardo has played a pivotal role in repositioning Burberry. He has enhanced our creative language, modernised and elevated our product offer and brought a new generation of luxury customers to our brand. On behalf of everyone at Burberry, I would like to thank him for his creative leadership and wish him the very best for the future."