After announcing the departure of creative director Tomas Maier on June 13, Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta has found British designer and former director of ready-to-wear design at Céline, Daniel Lee, as Maier’s replacement.
The 32-year-old will take on the creative directorial role from July 1 onwards.
The British designer graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 2011 and held positions at Maison Margiela, Balenciaga and Donna Karan before joining Céline in 2012.
Photo: Bottega Veneta / Facebook
“I’m both honored and excited to continue the legacy that has been created at Bottega Veneta over the last five decades,” Lee said in a statement. “Maintaining the ingrained codes of the House, craftsmanship, quality and sophistication, I look forward to evolving what has gone before, while contributing a new perspective and modernity.”
In an official announcement of the appointment, François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of Bottega Veneta’s parent company Kering, welcomed Lee. “I am very pleased to welcome Daniel Lee to Kering as Creative Director of Bottega Veneta.
The singularity of his vision inspired by a very personal creative approach convinced me that he was best able to open a new chapter in the history of the House. His work is characterised by great rigor, a mastery of studio expertise, a true passion for materials and an energy that I cannot wait to see take shape at Bottega Veneta.”
The decision to appoint the British designer comes after the Italian brand’s recent revenue decline in the past few years.
Tomas Maier played a pivotal role in shaping and growing Bottega Veneta for 17 years, helping the brand surpass US$1 billion (S$1.35 billion) in sales for the first time in 2012. However, the fashion house suffered a dip in revenue by nine percent in the last two years, dropping to around US$1.4 billion (S$1.9 billion) in 2017.
Photo: Bottega Veneta / Facebook
“Daniel Lee has a deep understanding of the House’s current challenges both in terms of creation and development,” added Claus Dietrich Lahrs, CEO of Bottega Veneta.
“He will bring to Bottega Veneta a new and distinctive creative language that will continue building the House’s success based on the ambitious foundations already developed over recent years.”
Pinault is no stranger to appointing lesser-known designers to creative positions at Kering’s high-end fashion brands.
He previously chose Alessandro Michele to be the creative director of Gucci, who has since brought an amazing turnaround to the brand with US$2.2 million (S$2.97 million) in total revenue.
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