Daniel Lee - Designer, Creative Director of Burberry

[Lola701]

I’m getting kind of tired of the rebrands

I wish some of those brands would have strong guidelines to forbid any changes of logos. I find it ridiculous…
Now that they are all paying attention to their value on the resale market and the impact it has on the perception people have of their brands, those are things that should be taken in consideration.

it's a very short glimpse of a video but looks promising. I don't expect high glamour from a bran like Burberry. Like other have mentioned, it is more akin to Calvin Klein where it has to appeal to the masses. I don't expect the most intricate of dresses or the finest cashmere sweaters. There are other brands for that. Whether that will resonate with the audience, that will be the question.

It’s ironic because Christopher Bailey’s success at Burberry was because he brought back a certain idea of Glamour. I remember shows with big furs, high heels, flowy dresses despite the pragmatism and the layer of British spleen added to the aesthetic.
Burberry can be that and Burberry was all of that. The shift happened when they had to get rid of all the lines (Prorsum, London, Brit). Bailey struggled and Riccardo definitely produced something HF but the brand was still too much depending on the logos.

What I hope with Lee is that they will manage to infuse some sort of HF energy into pieces that have a commercial appeal without jumping straight on the logos.

Burberry can sell HF. I remember the motorcycle jackets from 2011, everybody wanted them and they sold like crazy. And it was the same the season when Bailey did military for Women and menswear..

I’m perplexed on the desire to push bags.

 

[reese06]

The logo is a step in the right direction.

I will never not miss Christopher Bailey's Burberry. It was fabulous.

I hate when they decided to rid the brand of Burberry London, Burberry Brit and Burberry Prorsum. While a lot of brands at the time were getting rid of diffusion lines, i.e Dolce and Gabbana closed down D&G, I think that it worked for Burberry because the aesthetic and product of the lesser lines was not a dumbed or watered down of the runway/Prorsum show. They existed on their own but maybe the numbers did not support it.

 

[IndigoHomme]

I will never not miss Christopher Bailey's Burberry. It was fabulous.

How to forget when, thanks to Bailey, we saw hearts, owls, and raffia in the streets around the world

 

[tricotineacetat]

It’s ironic because Christopher Bailey’s success at Burberry was because he brought back a certain idea of Glamour. I remember shows with big furs, high heels, flowy dresses despite the pragmatism and the layer of British spleen added to the aesthetic.
Burberry can be that and Burberry was all of that. The shift happened when they had to get rid of all the lines (Prorsum, London, Brit). Bailey struggled and Riccardo definitely produced something HF but the brand was still too much depending on the logos.

What I hope with Lee is that they will manage to infuse some sort of HF energy into pieces that have a commercial appeal without jumping straight on the logos.

Burberry can sell HF. I remember the motorcycle jackets from 2011, everybody wanted them and they sold like crazy. And it was the same the season when Bailey did military for Women and menswear..

I’m perplexed on the desire to push bags.

There is a fine line to be balanced at a brand like Burberry and that is to keep a sense of pragmatism and utlity at the core of the brand's signatures (which will forever be linked to outerwear) while giving it just enough injection of 'fashion' to make it a desirable brand without alienating a customer that might not be very fashion forward but may enjoy to invest in classical staples one expects to find at a house like Burberry.

Christopher Bailey certainly had some memorable collections with very high fashion moments. But he worked up to that point during his long lasting tenure and the nature of his design was not to turn a trenchcoat into a garment that wouldn't read as such. I firmly believe that any designer taking on a house like Burberry needs to understand the essence of those staples, such as the trench, the peacoat, the chesterfield, etc. inside out - You deviate too much from that and these pieces no longer read as those iconic classics and therefor loose their timeless appeal (even when Bailey made trenchcoats from lace, they still felt like a classic trench at heart - I'm thinking in the first league of designers like Jil Sander, Helmut Lang or more actively Hedi Slimane whose background is very firmly informed by menswear design and in the league below, successors like Rodolpho Paglialunga, Paul Surridge or Italo Zucchelli who had previously worked for such houses.

It will be interesting to see the new Burberry, although I must say, I really disliked Daniel Lee's Bottega Veneta and I get the feeling his design touches are by far too trendy.

 

[Drusilla_]

Burberry had a really strong run under Christopher Bailey, it was one of the great brand reinventions of the 00s. I remember they got rid of the plaid (which basically had the same function as a logo) and just leaned hard into the whole 'we have a heritage of classic but slightly quirky English glamour' look for their collections and media, for years. After he left, I don't think the more streetwear direction of the collections really worked, even though it was what was trendy at the time, because it so went against what people had come to know and like Burberry for.

And while Daniel Lee does have a good hand with accessories going by BV, I'm with @tricotineacetat in worrying about how obviously trendy his pieces looked, like you could easily pin them to 2018-23.

 

[tricotineacetat]

What's i

Burberry had a really strong run under Christopher Bailey, it was one of the great brand reinventions of the 00s. I remember they got rid of the plaid (which basically had the same function as a logo) and just leaned hard into the whole 'we have a heritage of classic but slightly quirky English glamour' look for their collections and media, for years. After he left, I don't think the more streetwear direction of the collections really worked, even though it was what was trendy at the time, because it so went against what people had come to know and like Burberry for.

You made a good point that Burberry (like most other luxury brands at the time) paid great efforts to rid themselves off the kind of products that were heavily subject of counterfeits, like the plaid, which was for a long time considered as quintessentially 'white trash'. I'd say the turning point of that was when Gosha Rubchinsky and eventually Vetements happened and it became cool for a young generation to dress up like the squatting slavs that appeared in the first few memes around the time.

Demna's Balenciaga really cemented the authority of the glorified 'Eastern Block' streetwear look compared to Ghesquiere's fascination with fashion from the Space Age era. I'm really curious as to how long it will take until people have moved on from this moment and another look will be in favor - Looking back on Christopher Bailey's first few years at Burberry, I think that was actually a very charming way to dress.

 

[Drusilla_]

What's i


You made a good point that Burberry (like most other luxury brands at the time) paid great efforts to rid themselves off the kind of products that were heavily subject of counterfeits, like the plaid, which was for a long time considered as quintessentially 'white trash'. I'd say the turning point of that was when Gosha Rubchinsky and eventually Vetements happened and it became cool for a young generation to dress up like the squatting slavs that appeared in the first few memes around the time.

Demna's Balenciaga really cemented the authority of the glorified 'Eastern Block' streetwear look compared to Ghesquiere's fascination with fashion from the Space Age era. I'm really curious as to how long it will take until people have moved on from this moment and another look will be in favor - Looking back on Christopher Bailey's first few years at Burberry, I think that was actually a very charming way to dress.

I was trying to be diplomatic about how the phrasing but yeah, Burberry's 00s house cleaning was definitely a strong attempt to rid themselves of a consumer base/association they didn't want, and it worked really, really well. 00s Burberry under Bailey was great, as you said it had that charm and romance and just enough fashion to make that whole English-heritage thing married with East London, look cool and not some stodgy Sloane Ranger redux. And then, over a decade later, that look comes right back in fashion at the tail end of the 'ironic everything' hipster years, I suppose the temptation to reposition the brand as being friendly to that, was too strong.

I hope Daniel Lee can walk that line between the heritage stuff (the things that form the core of Burberry's image) and the modern - some of his BV stuff was beautiful and looked timeless, but every time I see one of those puffy bags or square sandals that look like a spade all I can think of is how trend victim it looks. I don't want Burberry to go that way.

 

[LadyJunon]

It’s ironic because Christopher Bailey’s success at Burberry was because he brought back a certain idea of Glamour. I remember shows with big furs, high heels, flowy dresses despite the pragmatism and the layer of British spleen added to the aesthetic.
Burberry can be that and Burberry was all of that. The shift happened when they had to get rid of all the lines (Prorsum, London, Brit). Bailey struggled and Riccardo definitely produced something HF but the brand was still too much depending on the logos.

What I hope with Lee is that they will manage to infuse some sort of HF energy into pieces that have a commercial appeal without jumping straight on the logos.

Burberry can sell HF. I remember the motorcycle jackets from 2011, everybody wanted them and they sold like crazy. And it was the same the season when Bailey did military for women and menswear.

Honestly, I feel that the Prorsum line did a good job at doing high-fashion under Burberry, without compromising their more classical offerings. Had they not dissolved it and their other lines back in 2016, Tisci's plans would've most likely had a better platform to work with, instead of trying to satisfy the whole fashion spectrum with the runway collections. Even a model of "Prorsum, Classic, Diffusion" would have worked.

You made a good point that Burberry (like most other luxury brands at the time) paid great efforts to rid themselves off the kind of products that were heavily subject of counterfeits, like the plaid, which was for a long time considered as quintessentially 'white trash'. I'd say the turning point of that was when Gosha Rubchinsky and eventually Vetements happened and it became cool for a young generation to dress up like the squatting slavs that appeared in the first few memes around the time.

Demna's Balenciaga really cemented the authority of the glorified 'Eastern Block' streetwear look compared to Ghesquiere's fascination with fashion from the Space Age era. I'm really curious as to how long it will take until people have moved on from this moment and another look will be in favor - Looking back on Christopher Bailey's first few years at Burberry, I think that was actually a very charming way to dress.

The initial appeal of that "White Trash" aesthetic was that to customers, it's easy to wear and understand and to companies, easy to produce and market. Add the legacy of a couturier, the blood, sweat and tears of 90s/00s visionary and the hopes of a "young" talent and you're set for the next half-decade.

It might not be the best idea to jump on that look as the base of a creative director's tenure in 2023, since the aesthetic has slowly started its decline in the high fashion space.

 

[Frederic01]

I’m perplexed on the desire to push bags.

To be honest, it's probably one of the main reasons why he got the job. Burberry is probably the weakest of its peers in regards to leather goods. No iconic bags or shoes or any other accessories to speak of? And Daniel was supremely successful in that regard.

Personally I believe he will move away from the logo/check and develop a strong leather-goods base in place of that, which is a smart strategy for a brand like Burberry which is continuing its repositioning in the luxury landscape...

 

[Deleted member 7575]

I suddenly remembered that Burberry is a brand that I do not value whatsoever and couldn't really care less what Lee makes of it.

 

[TaylorBinque]

The new typeface looks like Mulberry. I guess it's the brits. I do love that he brings back the Burberry Prorsum logo. Not sure about that shade of blue though. I kind of get his idea of Burberry. The English Rose is kind of on the nose, no? I wish the photography is more distinctive.

For me, to be very honest, the peak of Burberry was also the peak of Christopher Bailey's career. His Prorsum collections were fantastic. It has drama! It has glamour! It combines street and couture.

 

[RaisinBoy]

Its a sad day for fashion when people bring up ANYTHING related to Christopher Bailey.
Have we all stooped so low?!??
He was at best mediocre for a mediocre duty-free brand called Burberry.
He was strongly Supported by Anna Wintour and we all know she has the worst taste and instincts in fashion.

 

[GoldenTribe]

^ I honestly can't tell if that's some weird internet sarcasm but Christopher Bailey had a fantastic run at Burberry. He made more epic outerwear in one year (2011) than most runway brands have created in the entire decade since. Singling him out for beyond-vague criticism is straight-up bizarre.

 

[Drusilla_]

Its a sad day for fashion when people bring up ANYTHING related to Christopher Bailey.
Have we all stooped so low?!??
He was at best mediocre for a mediocre duty-free brand called Burberry.
He was strongly Supported by Anna Wintour and we all know she has the worst taste and instincts in fashion.

He took a stodgy outerwear brand adopted by chavs and turned it into a synonym for cool, glamorous and mildly eccentric English charm, very successfully for over a decade. Anna Wintour may have supported him, but the clothes held up. Burberry may have lacked leather goods It products, but clearly sold well enough for Bailey to stay in place for fifteen years - something that wouldn't happen if they weren't making money.

I'm not terribly fond of that shade of blue or the rather harsh effect of it on the Prorsum logo under Daniel Lee, but I'm glad to see the knight is back.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Its a sad day for fashion when people bring up ANYTHING related to Christopher Bailey.
Have we all stooped so low?!??
He was at best mediocre for a mediocre duty-free brand called Burberry.
He was strongly Supported by Anna Wintour and we all know she has the worst taste and instincts in fashion.

I cannot stand for this bad-mouthing of Bailey.

He kept Burberry at the vanguard of the fashion conversation for years and made excellent beautifully crafted products that enriched the brand's heritage.

His work did age and he eventually needed to be replaced but that doesn't devalue his achievement or his talent.

 

[Lola701]

I cannot stand for this bad-mouthing of Bailey.

He kept Burberry at the vanguard of the fashion conversation for years and made excellent beautifully crafted products that enriched the brand's heritage.

His work did age and he eventually needed to be replaced but that doesn't devalue his achievement or his talent.

I wouldn’t even say that his work aged. For me he just made bad choices when they god rid of all the lines. The pieces were always great but it seemed like he wasn’t confident in his aesthetic anymore and he became heavily influenced by what was trendy… (Gucci by Michele)
His last collection was probably the worst way possible to end what was a great tenure.

 

[perhydrol]

To me, Bailey shouldn't have accepted the CEO role. That's why, in my opinion, he got detached and kinda desperate at the same time, as he tried really hard to snatch some of the hype surrounding Gucci and, later, Vetements/Gosha kind of streetwear. That's the moment when he lost his own, deeply personal point of view. That said, he was still able to produce great collections, such as the spring 2017 one and it's actually nice to see him supporting Lee now.

 

[frenchiefashionlover]

Daniel Lee will probably go full vintage like a refresh on last century coats, simple lines, demure shapes. Bags will be a surprise, but he must have a very competent team on that division. Honestly, im not sure how far he can go, Burberry had more a mid luxury image recently (not much is made in england), a big rebrand towards high fashion may be a stretch...

 

[Lola701]

Tbh, his Bottega Veneta could have been Burberry.
It had that utilitarian flair, the boots, the knitwear, the neutrals…That idea of goods basics.
What I wish he will remove is the annoying non-sense accessories and sometimes obnoxious loud colors.

A Burberry bag maybe needs be functional and not trendy…

Now that Blazy is doing a more sophisticated, elevated slightly bourgeois thing, I can still see him be on what he started at BV but more practical.

 

[FelipeV]

Daniel, if you're reading this: Do whatever you want but please, please: enough with the ugly shoes. Thank you sweetie.