Daniel Lee - Designer, Creative Director of Burberry

[Thefrenchy]

From what I heard, his entire team (both design and visual) is allegedly running away from Burberry -- to the delight of the suits from what I was told...

 

[Lola701]

From what I heard, his entire team (both design and visual) is allegedly running away from Burberry -- to the delight of the suits from what I was told...

It’s a pity but understandable.
His contract ends this year right? The thing is that he is talented, I like his vision and want to see him succeed elsewhere but all the houses are taken so far.

 

[PDFSD]

From what I heard, his entire team (both design and visual) is allegedly running away from Burberry -- to the delight of the suits from what I was told...

easy clean up & cost effective ..expensive staff leaving on own accord.

Lee needs a brake for burberry and his ego and come back like he has something to prove.

 

[GivenchyAddict]

It’s a pity but understandable.
His contract ends this year right? The thing is that he is talented, I like his vision and want to see him succeed elsewhere but all the houses are taken so far.

Fendi is still available. 🤭

 

[Lola701]

Fendi is still available. 🤭

I love Silvia but I would definitely trade her for Daniel. But again, I think they should work in tandem for menswear and womenswear.

 

[Thefrenchy]

It’s a pity but understandable.
His contract ends this year right? The thing is that he is talented, I like his vision and want to see him succeed elsewhere but all the houses are taken so far.

I do too. Worst case scenario, just wait a couple of years and we're gonna play musical chairs again... He just needs a brand where he can express his vision in a 360 way, and there aren't a lot of them. Unless they trust him to bring back a brand from the dead?

 

[PDFSD]

BURBERRY fiscal first quarter 2026 sales decline at a slower pace​

Posted On July 18, 2025 CPP-LUXURY

Burberry’s turnaround is gathering pace. The heritage luxury brand says actions taken over the past few months — including marketing campaigns celebrating the British summertime and a “rebalancing” of its collections — helped to improve its performance in the first quarter of the 2026 fiscal year.

Comparable store sales were down 1 per cent year-on-year in the 13 weeks ended 28 June, compared with the 21 per cent decline recorded in the last quarter. Overall, Burberry’s retail revenue — including contributions from new space — fell 6 per cent on a reported basis to £433 million in the first quarter (down 2 per cent at constant exchange rates).

By region, comparable store sales in EMEIA grew 1 per cent as a rise in local spend helped offset a decline in tourist spending.
The Americas grew 4 per cent. Sales fell by 5 per cent in Greater China and by 4 per cent in the rest of Asia, where a “challenging performance” in Japan was only partially offset by growth in South Korea.

Burberry CEO Joshua Schulman said it was his one-year anniversary in the role. “If you had asked me 12 months ago where we’d be today, I wouldn’t have imagined the amount of progress this exceptional team is making,” he said. “We’re really pleased with the sequential improvement we’re seeing across the regions, particularly the shift to positive comps in EMEIA and the Americas. We’re optimistic about the quarters ahead.”

In the US, which accounts for 19 per cent of revenue, Burberry has adopted a two-pronged approach: targeting its top-spending customers with tailored events, such as a trip to Flamingo Estate in Los Angeles, while driving traffic in malls by bringing its festival marketing campaign to life with live DJ sets. “The storytelling and products now appeal to a much broader range of luxury consumers,” said Schulman.

CFO Kate Ferry emphasised that China is still a “very important market” for Burberry, currently representing about 30 per cent of its global sales. While traffic there is challenging, she said conversion has improved. “Tariffs are a headwind, but we spent a lot of last year looking at supply chain and price elasticity,” said Ferry. “We took a surgical approach to price increases in the US. It is highly dynamic, so we continue to monitor and manage.”
Across all markets, Burberry said its Q1 sales were supported by stronger brand desirability — up 11 points this quarter according to its internal tracker — and improved conversion across the board. Outerwear and scarves are performing well, and Schulman highlighted lightweight jackets with check trims as a Q1 bestseller. Burberry is also seeing “green shoots” in other categories, he said, such as footwear (wellies and pool slides had a “strong response from customers”).

E-commerce sales improved for the third consecutive quarter, driven by stronger product mix and storytelling, though Burberry warned that wholesale sales are expected to decline by around mid-teens in the first half of 2026.

In May, Burberry outlined cost-saving measures that include laying off 20 per cent of staff, equivalent to 1,700 jobs. At the same time, the brand revealed that its revenue for the year ended 31 March 2025 fell 15 per cent to £2.46 billion, with adjusted operating profit tumbling 88 per cent year-on-year to £26 million. Today, Burberry announced that it is on track to deliver £80 million in annualised savings by the end of fiscal 2026.

As part of its restructuring, Burberry has announced the appointment of its four regional presidents to the company’s executive committee. Claudia Kim, president Asia Pacific; Frank van Loon, president EMEIA; Josie Zhang, president Greater China; and Laura Dubin-Wander, president Americas, will continue to lead their respective regions while participating in executive committee decisions, strategy and operations.
It follows Burberry’s decision to remove its vacant chief commercial officer position. “Rather than replace that role, I’ve had the regional presidents report directly to me. That gets me — and the decision making — closer to the customer,” said Schulman.

Looking ahead, Schulman stressed that the turnaround is still in its early stages, but he is optimistic that Burberry is now on the right path. “It’s not turning on a light switch; this is a multi-year plan. There is so much storytelling we can do around timeless British luxury.”

Burberry SS 2025



no word on Lee again insane!!!!!

 

[Thefrenchy]

E-commerce sales improved for the third consecutive quarter, driven by stronger product mix and storytelling, though Burberry warned that wholesale sales are expected to decline by around mid-teens in the first half of 2026.


no word on Lee again insane!!!!!

A "stronger product mix and story telling"?????? Just visit www.burberry.com and tell me what's strong in the product mix. The product selection online looks like it was curated for and by chavs, you could never tell this brand even does fashion show.

That Schulman guy truly sounds insufferable and insanely full of himself.

 

[LadyJunon]

From what I heard, his entire team (both design and visual) is allegedly running away from Burberry -- to the delight of the suits from what I was told...

Let's be honest, after Lee, no designer is touching that house with a 50-foot pole and Burberry deserves it.

 

[Olaffo]

Let's be honest, after Lee, no designer is touching that house with a 50-foot pole and Burberry deserves it.

I'm afraid I disagree - Kim Jones is free and if they'll be happy to pay him whatever he'll ask then deal is made. Alternatively there are plenty of Head of Studio / Designs Directors ready to take the job...

I hope Lee will go somewhere where he'll be respected and can unleash his creative potential.

 

[reese06]

Hear me out.

Sabato’s collections would have been fitting for Burberry and produced in smaller runs to sell their other merch

 

[PDFSD]

I'm afraid I disagree - Kim Jones is free and if they'll be happy to pay him whatever he'll ask then deal is made. Alternatively there are plenty of Head of Studio / Designs Directors ready to take the job...

I hope Lee will go somewhere where he'll be respected and can unleash his creative potential.

nope he is too expensive...... they had already conversations allegedly

true there will many nr 2 that will take the job with same cheap taste as the ceo lol

 

[Grets]

It's the bottom rung on the luxury ladder. Any consumer with style and concern for quality would not be caught dead with any of their products.

 

[visvim2001]

A "stronger product mix and story telling"?????? Just visit www.burberry.com and tell me what's strong in the product mix. The product selection online looks like it was curated for and by chavs, you could never tell this brand even does fashion show.

That Schulman guy truly sounds insufferable and insanely full of himself.

big lulz cause it’s true

as for style, yes questionable. quality? to my surprise, I found Burberry’s quality to be quite good, even if you don’t take their trenches into account.

 

[Plax]

For me, it’s quite interesting to see what he does. I’ve never understood what these CEOs actually do in fashion industry. It’s really different with other industry, and it looks like their work is just appointing CD, and that’s all. This enormous brand’s destiny has been too dependent who CD is, not CEO. But this guy actually slowed down the drastic drop in sales without changing CD. Also, you can see he’s highly charged in brand’s overall direction, and it worked.

I think it’s not that bad for Lee too. Yeah, maybe he’s more limited creatively than before. But in same time I think he was too egoistic in the beginning. Maybe good for him working under someone’s direction.

 

[PDFSD]

For me, it’s quite interesting to see what he does. I’ve never understood what these CEOs actually do in fashion industry. It’s really different with other industry, and it looks like their work is just appointing CD, and that’s all. This enormous brand’s destiny has been too dependent who CD is, not CEO. But this guy actually slowed down the drastic drop in sales without changing CD. Also, you can see he’s highly charged in brand’s overall direction, and it worked.

I think it’s not that bad for Lee too. Yeah, maybe he’s more limited creatively than before. But in same time I think he was too egoistic in the beginning. Maybe good for him working under someone’s direction.

agree on Lee´s ego knowing how he started at Burberry like he was the golden child etc but the ceo focusing on the lowest common denominator of what Burberry has to offer will backfire again plastering the check on basic items to keep easy spenders coming in your store without attracting a more discerning luxury /fashion shopper will put the brand back into the chav era in no time.

Lee went to overboard as mentioned many times before but now the ceo is going to low its having two ends of a spectrum and no real genuine top down strategy or vision.

you have difficult shows as excuse for fashion crowed to lust over , and some items used as filler for ads or on ambassadors that almost have zero design integrity link to the commercial items beside the check

also in every interview never draw a link to the shows or any thing that lee does for the brand as incorporated is bad and unprofessional shows two camps under one roof.

on linkedin the ceo posted his one year anniversary and its all pics of him with staff and factory workers not one with Lee lol like he is Lady D on a state visit.

its like LV relying to much on canvas items they had to fix it and fire marc jacobs etc and take a more higher design development to fuel new designs top down for an idea of LV as a top fashion luxury house and not logo canvas stuff for masses

Burberry needs this balance as well if not the can be a department store polo ralph lauren / barbour brand

 

[IsabelMarantBoy]

Genuinely curious, it was a long tenure but how were sales under Bailey's direction?

I see that tagline in the article "More High End Trenches" and all I can think about were his amazing years in Milan and those lux trenches he used to make

 

[Lola701]

For me, it’s quite interesting to see what he does. I’ve never understood what these CEOs actually do in fashion industry.

In conglomerates, the CEO barely ever choose the creative director. At LVMH it’s between Arnault and his lieutenants. Sometimes, they happened to be be CEOs but it’s not always the case.
At Kering, it’s the same. Pinault decided with his lieutenant.

At brands like Burberry, the CEO has a little more freedom in that aspect.

But essentially, the work of the CEO is mainly strategic and in terms of strategy, Schulman is doing what is expected from a CEO to do. The problem is that, this is a fashion company and marketing led decisions are never long-lasting. The erasure of the CD from this narrative is concerning.

The concept of creative freedom simply means proposing ideas and products. It’s the job of the CEO to market it perfectly.

The fact that they have totally separated Lee’s work in terms of merchandising and also price point, therefore lower his impact in the house.

 

[visvim2001]

haven’t the most successful tenures in fashion either been a combination of 1) designer is the ceo, 2) super-designer has almost complete control of positioning and marketing, 3) designer and ceo are best mates, possibly related?

today it’s been proven that you can be artistically bereft and yet commercially successful. but to succeed in both regards takes a special vision and chemistry. but tbh I have no interest in buying Chav merchandise and no desire to own any of Lee’s wacky designs.

 

[PDFSD]

BOF BUSINESS

With Sales Improving Worldwide, CEO Josh Schulman Is Bullish on the Future of Burberry​

"We're taking things step by step, but we are optimistic about the business in general," said Schulman following Burberry's first-quarter results, which outstripped market expectations.
BySAMANTHA CONTI

JULY 18, 2025, 3:16PM​

Burberry's collaboration with Highgrove Gardens. COURTESY OF BURBERRY/CAMILLE SUMMERS-VALLI


LONDON – From colorful scarf bars in stores to campaigns featuring the Jagger clan and VVIP events stretching from Highgrove to the Flamingo Estate, Burberry’s charm offensive is working, with sales improving worldwide despite the tough environment for luxury.
The company has successfully stemmed the double-digit sales declines of the past year and outstripped growth expectations for the first fiscal quarter.


In the three months to June 30, it reported 433 million pounds in retail revenue, a 6 percent drop at reported exchange, and a 2 percent decline at constant rates.


Comparable store sales were down 1 percent, compared with analysts’ projections of a 3 percent decline. In the corresponding period last year, comparable store sales were down 21 percent.

Perhaps no one is more surprised than chief executive officer Josh Schulman who joined Burberry last July.

“If you had asked me 12 months ago where we would be today, I wouldn’t have imagined the amount of progress that this exceptional team has been making,” said Schulman, adding that brand desirability is also on the rise due to Burberry’s focus on “timeless British luxury.”

He added: “It’s early days, and it’s a tough macro, but we are really starting to see the potential of what lies ahead. We’re taking things step by step, but we are optimistic about the quarters ahead and optimistic about the business in general.”


Josh Schulman Patrick MacLeod/WWD
Schulman, who has been broadening the price points and appeal of the brand, said the metric he’s “super excited” about is conversion, the ability to turn window shoppers into paying customers. “Our conversion is up across the world — very significantly — and we’re doing so in a tough luxury market,” he said, adding that local customers have been outspending tourists worldwide.



The positive news caps a tough year for Schulman, who is hoping to restore Burberry to its golden days of 3 billion pounds in revenue and an operating margin in the high teens.

As reported in May, the company unveiled an enriched cost-savings plan that could see 20 percent of its workforce eliminated by 2027. The plan is aimed at unlocking 100 million pounds by fiscal 2027, in addition to 40 million pounds revealed last year.

Burberry plans to cut mainly office-based jobs, and will reorganize the schedules of its shop floor staff so they are working during peak traffic hours.

The company is also eliminating the night shift at its factory in Castleford, Yorkshire, where the signature gabardine trenchcoats are made. Around 25 percent of staff will be impacted.

The turnaround is taking shape, although Schulman and analysts said it’s still early days.

Bernstein called Burberry’s first-quarter performance “decent, particularly in the context where French and Italian peers are expected to shrink by negative” high-single-digit to double digit, when they report earnings later this month.

“More importantly, company commentary indicates early signs of brand reignition,” said Bernstein, adding that “the sequential improvement in same-store sales — against a most difficult environment — suggest that things are starting to work.”

The bank also believes that Burberry has a “more realistic pricing approach in leather goods,” which should help fuel growth going forward.


Deutsche Bank noted that Burberry’s shares are up 27 percent so far this year, “significantly outperforming both larger peers [including LVMH and Hermès] and turnaround peers [Kering and Ferragamo].”

Citi looked farther ahead, speculating that Burberry’s underlying retail sales “could turn positive” in the second fiscal quarter for the first time in two years.

The “execution is on track, with new [fall and spring] collections and a wider pricing architecture delivered to stores over the next three quarters to reignite brand desirability,” Citi said.

Friday’s first-quarter news sent the share price up more than 6 percent to close at 13.27 pounds.

There is even talk that Burberry could rejoin the FTSE 100 index when the London Stock Exchange undertakes its next quarterly review in September.

Burberry fell out of the index, which includes the biggest companies by market capitalization, last September following a 50 percent decline in its share price in the months leading up to the review.

In the first three months, Schulman said growth came from “sequential improvement” across all regions, thanks chiefly to more enthusiastic local customers.

The Americas rose 4 percent, followed by EMEIA, or Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa region, which rose 1 percent. Greater China was down 5 percent, while Asia Pacific fell 4 percent.


The Burberry flagship reopening in New York in October 2024.
Kate Ferry, Burberry’s chief financial officer, said the performance in the Americas, which represents around 19 percent of overall sales, was particularly interesting.



“We actually saw new customer numbers growing in the region, as well as returning customers. We’re seeing a much broader range of customers in America, too, which is good,” she said.

She and Schulman stressed that Greater China, which represents 30 percent of sales, has been showing quarter-on-quarter improvement, with sales coming from locals rather than tourists, in line with the overall trends in Asia-Pacific.

Ferry added that “traffic in the luxury market is challenging everywhere, and tourism is certainly down, but our team in China are really encouraged by all they are seeing. Overall, it’s sequentially improving and it remains a really important market for us. We are really, really excited about the future of China,” she said.

Worldwide, bestsellers in the three months included outerwear, particularly lightweight jackets, and items with check trims or with the Burberry Prorsum Knight stamp. In the shoe category, wellies and pool slides also had a strong response from customers as well, Schulman said.

Summer products have been selling at places including The Newt, a 2,000-acre working farm and luxury hotel and spa in Somerset, England. Burberry created a custom check pattern for the hotel as part of a summer partnership, and has been selling swimwear, outerwear, hats, scarves and umbrellas at the boutique.

Burberry has also done a takeover of The Standard in Ibiza, whipping up its signature check in yellow for parasols, loungers and cushions. There’s also a big Burberry logo at the bottom of the swimming pool.



The brand is working with The Standard’s rooftop bar and restaurant, doing weekly Burberry-curated cocktail evenings, soundtracked by guest DJs spinning from a custom-built booth


Burberry at The Standard Courtesy
For the VVIPs there were trips to the gardens at Highgrove, King Charles’s private home in Gloucestershire, following a collaboration with the estate on a 28-piece capsule collection.

In the U.S., Burberry invited big-spending customers to the launch of the Highgrove collection at the Flamingo Estate, the working farm turned high-end lifestyle destination in Los Angeles.

As the glamorous campaigns and events continue to roll out, there is steady work going on behind the scenes, and in the Burberry C-suites worldwide.

As reported in May, Schulman decided not to fill the role of chief commercial officer and to do the job himself, with Burberry’s regional presidents reporting directly to him.

On Friday, along with the first-quarter announcement, Burberry said the four regional presidents will join the executive committee and take part in relevant decision-making, strategy and operations.

They are Claudia Kim in Asia-Pacific; Frank van Loon in EMEIA; Josie Zhang, in Greater China, and Laura Dubin-Wander, in the Americas.

Schulman said the move is meant to align leadership and decision-making more closely with the end-customer. Schulman said the regional presidents’ “market insights and deep customer knowledge are invaluable, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with them to drive” the Burberry Forward strategy.



Looking ahead to the full 2025-26 year, Schulman said the transformation is not like “turning on a light switch” and will take time.

“It is a multiyear plan with the aim of re-grounding the brand in a timeless British luxury expression. There’s so much storytelling that we can do, and we will continue to execute our product strategy, leading with outerwear, earning our authority in other categories, and getting the product and marketing right to appeal to the broad universe of luxury customers.”

Although the company did not comment on the second quarter performance, it said the plan was to prioritize investment and deliver margin improvement “with a continued focus on simplification, productivity and cash flow. We remain confident that we are positioning the business for a return to sustainable, profitable growth.”