Daniel Lee Sparks New Life at Burberry
Last year, the brand announced that Lee would be taking over following designer Riccardo Tisci's departure.
In September 2022, fashion lovers received the bittersweet news that designer Riccardo Tisci would be leaving Burberry and former Bottega Veneta designer Daniel Lee would be joining the Maison as the new creative director. Following his tenure at Bottega where Lee successfully rebranded the Italian house as the "New Bottega," many wondered what his next move would be.
Ahead of his debut collection for Burberry, the designer has unveiled his first creative work for the brand through a series of photographs and a video, all captured by Tyrone Lebon. The film is also bolstered by an original score from John Glacier.
From this reveal, it seems Lee (who is from Bradford, England) is leaning into the Maison's British heritage. The photographs depict Glacier, Jun Ji-Hyun, Lennon Gallagher, Liberty Ross, Raheem Sterling, Shygirl, Skepta, and Vanessa Redgrave, as well as some animals that coincide with the Burberry aesthetic, in iconic London locations like Trafalgar Square and Albert Bridge. While the idea of British stars and London scenery suggests an embracing of the past, his choice of subjects (a mix of old-school icons with more youth-facing names) is a trademark Lee move that speaks to the future.
It's a concept mirrored in the redesigned Burberry logo—a fresh look from the brand that's rooted in the archives—as well as the Equestrian Knight Design. The emblem originated in 1901 as the winner of a public-entry design contest. Now, its Latin inscription, "Prorsum," lays out Lee's ethos at Burberry: "Forwards."
