The divorce you don’t expect. Bottega Veneta and Daniel Lee have parted ways. It was announced by the Kering group, which owns the Italian fashion house, underlining how the designer took the creative helm of the maison into his hands on July 1, 2018. An underlining that testifies to how, in the space of three and a half years, Lee has revived Bottega Veneta. He has done so not only by opening up new product horizons, but also by activating unprecedented and disruptive strategies. For example, the cancellation of his Instagram account and the organisation of travelling fashion shows in London, Berlin (with the attendant criticism) and Detroit just 15 days ago.
The divorce you don’t expect
Kering’s aseptic note doesn’t dwell on the reasons for the divorce. “A new creative organisation for the maison will be announced shortly” is the close of the press release, which also carries a statement from Lee. “My time at Bottega Veneta has been an incredible experience“. Kering admits that the 35-year-old British designer “has brought new energy to the maison, and has contributed greatly to the new momentum that Bottega Veneta enjoys today”.
Destination Burberry?
Kering chairman François-Henri Pinault thanked Lee for his “singular vision” which “has brought the maison’s heritage up to date and brought it back to the centre of the fashion scene”. In the meantime, the designer’s bets have already started, not only to identify Lee’s successor, but also to guess where he will work. The first rumours, reported by the newspaper La Repubblica, already have him heading for Burberry, to take the place of Riccardo Tisci.
Pictured: right, Daniel Lee (taken from Wikipedia), left, image taken from bottegaveneta.com
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