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LFW: How Burberry’s first show with Daniel Lee as Chief Creative Officer Reimagined Quintessential British Fashion

by Carolina Anzalone


Hailing from Bradford in the North of England, the latest Creative Director of Burberry, Daniel Lee, graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2011 and propelled himself towards an incredibly successful career.



He has been privileged enough to hold other important positions at high fashion brands including Maison Margiela, Balenciaga, and many other household names, and the iconic Milanese fashion house, Bottega Veneta. 

 

In fact, within his work for Bottega Veneta Lee developed iconic pieces like the Pouch Bag and Padded Sandals that reserved the title of a “New Bottega” fresh look for the company as well as building the designer a strong community of fans that follow his trends and embrace his new vision.

 

He retained his position as Creative Director for Bottega Veneta from 2018-2021, catapulting it into the spotlight before most recently being appointed as Riccardo Tisci's replacement as Chief Creative Officer at the prestigious British brand, Burberry. Matthieu Blazy was announced as his replacement at the end of 2022. 



Lee has clearly been able to identify a specific customer that was not previously catered to today’s busy fashion marketplace, delivering what the millennial generations truly desire: high quality, durable, and timeless pieces.

 

At British fashion house Burberry, Lee is seeking to shake things up with an ambition to celebrate the brand’s heritage and build upon the historic legacy left behind by Riccardo Tisci. He recently voiced:

 

"I am honoured to join Burberry as chief creative officer. 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.”



Highly anticipated, the first Burberry show since Lee stepped into the role of Chief Creative Officer took place during London Fashion Week AW23. 


Back in November 2022, Burberry CEO, Jonathan Akeroyd, declared that the company would focus more heavily on its British heritage and this show proved that to be true. 


Hosted in London’s Oval stadium - the home of cricket, a staple British sport during summertime - this location choice immediately demonstrated appreciation for all aspects of British culture and tradition.


Lee’s debut was a tremendous success. The brand’s image seemingly being enriched from his touch, never shying away from it’s British heritage and love-affair with the iconic trench coat, all the while exploring a new playful medium in the form of colourful painted graphics and slogans like “THE WINDS OF CHANGE”.



The focus was on playing youthfully with plaid trousers, women’s kilts, and exaggerated styling like the giant trapper hat, or even the hilarious hand-knitted bonnet in the shape of a duck. This focus on accessories comes as no surprise after it was unveiled in their new strategy their aim to grow accessories to 50% of group sales in the long-term.

 

It is clear that part of Burberry’s mission is to target the future market of Gen Z consumers, with its new staple vibrant blue being used in more of its collections alongside bright yellows and oranges paired with classic hues of navy, brown and grey.

 

Daniel Lee is a magician of colour, able to emphasise and diminish colours to create outstanding desirable products. Summer trend prediction? Blue is the new green!


Edited by Emily Duff

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