Daniel Lee - Designer, Creative Director of Burberry

[Lola701]

He’ll do better at jil sander. Burberry is just a crap house. Was interesting for a bit with Tisci, but the suits and the new ceo probably killed any spirit…
Daniel lee’s Burberry has been nothing but a disaster. Provincial Little Britain!!

I like his Burberry in the same way that I liked his Bottega Veneta. I actually prefer his Burberry because the accessories are less obnoxious and we don’t have an aggressive green to deal with.
I think he has range. He can do bourgeois, edgy, functional and I love his collaboration with Lebon.

Tisci was good but it wasn’t focused. And I think Lee is losing a bit of his confidence at Burberry.

I don’t care for Burberry so they can have whoever they want anyway. They can even promote internally.

 

[proseccotabis]

I like his Burberry in the same way that I liked his Bottega Veneta. I actually prefer his Burberry because the accessories are less obnoxious and we don’t have an aggressive green to deal with.
I think he has range. He can do bourgeois, edgy, functional and I love his collaboration with Lebon.

Tisci was good but it wasn’t focused. And I think Lee is losing a bit of his confidence at Burberry.

I don’t care for Burberry so they can have whoever they want anyway. They can even promote internally.

what i love about Daniel as a designer is that his work has charisma and edge. Blazy creates an intelligent and intellectual BV, that ticks all the boxes, but not for me.. i miss the DL x BV era.

 

[Thefrenchy]

I think he has range. He can do bourgeois, edgy, functional and I love his collaboration with Lebon.

Makes me think about those latest Alasdair McLellan images they've been posting... Tragedy. It's giving Pringle of Scotland (RIP) more than anything.

 

[PDFSD]

Davis belongs to Alaia. He is basically doing disguised Azzedine ever since he took over Ferragamo anyway.

yes Alaia cut out of cardboard :-) lol

 

[PDFSD]

First of, I find a bit vulgar to point the finger at anyone dealing with any kind of addiction. Second, unless you know him personally, you are basing your judgement on assumptions. And third, mind you that if that was ever a justification, very VERY few designers (past and present) would get hired and be paid the way they are.

bit harsh to call /find someone a bit vulgar for just mentioning a possible scenario with a valid point made in regards of repercussion in context of the discussion its a point to be mentioned, we can disagree without name calling every time.

since when has discusion become convincing each other that one's personal point of view is the only truth and the goal is we just have to make the other person agree.

also the point here that The Frenchy was making is that it's more visible Lee issues and this for interested companies is a lability factor they doe speak about when its common public/industry wide knowledge or gossip regarding a creative director or person at particular level, compared to when thing are hidden and /under control and not widely known in HR circles /CEO who has what side issues.

i can tell you for a fact that HR and head hunters look at side behavior and gossip as well of candidates many know why has what issues.

 

[Thefrenchy]

bit harsh to call /find someone a bit vulgar for just mentioning a possible scenario with a valid point made in regards of repercussion in context of the discussion its a point to be mentioned, we can disagree without name calling every time.

since when has discusion become convincing each other that one's personal point of view is the only truth and the goal is we just have to make the other person agree.

also the point here that The Frenchy was making is that it's more visible Lee issues and this for interested companies is a lability factor they doe speak about when its common public/industry wide knowledge or gossip regarding a creative director or person at particular level, compared to when thing are hidden and /under control and not widely known in HR circles /CEO who has what side issues.

i can tell you for a fact that HR and head hunters look at side behavior and gossip as well of candidates many know why has what issues.

Not going to go on forever regarding that topic but I suggest you read again the interaction. What you qualify as "just mentioning a possible scenario" is not what was done. The user's post started by "With his addictions..." and was later reinforced by "i'm not laughing or pointing out nothing just stating a fact, because it's not a rumor". If one mentions they're stating a fact, they are, by essence, *not* speculating. Not that speculating on someone's addictions would make it any better...

This is not about convincing someone or not, this is about being mindful about what one writes on a public platform. Especially when it's about someone's life. I know being respectful isn't the trend these days, but unless someone has chosen to make their battles public (and I'm not talking through what some have read on Twitter or Tiktok and consider "official"), I'd really suggest to think twice about speculating on that sort of thing.

There's a lot to talk about and to like/dislike about his work, I'm sure people can focus on that.

The one thing you mentioned I agree with, is that any designer's behaviour is closely observed within the industry (even if, gossip travels faster than truth over there). Some are better than others at hiding their demons (or that they are assh**** to be honest), that's for sure.

Whatever he is, or isn't, going through I do hope he will go to a fashion house that will let him develop further.

 

[Lola701]

Makes me think about those latest Alasdair McLellan images they've been posting... Tragedy. It's giving Pringle of Scotland (RIP) more than anything.

I like Alastair photos but they are too perfect almost. It’s beautiful but nothing else.

However, I think Lebon with Lee gives you attitude and mood.

 

[jeanclaude]

I hope Daniel goes to rehab, because I wouldn´t like to see duck prints at Jil Sander...

 

[j02215]

He should rest, reset and stay out of fashion for a bit.

I’m still dreaming of Jil Sander making a final return herself while mentoring some actual talent to take over long term.

 

[PDFSD]

Not going to go on forever regarding that topic but I suggest you read again the interaction. What you qualify as "just mentioning a possible scenario" is not what was done. The user's post started by "With his addictions..." and was later reinforced by "i'm not laughing or pointing out nothing just stating a fact, because it's not a rumor". If one mentions they're stating a fact, they are, by essence, *not* speculating. Not that speculating on someone's addictions would make it any better...

This is not about convincing someone or not, this is about being mindful about what one writes on a public platform. Especially when it's about someone's life. I know being respectful isn't the trend these days, but unless someone has chosen to make their battles public (and I'm not talking through what some have read on Twitter or Tiktok and consider "official"), I'd really suggest to think twice about speculating on that sort of thing.

There's a lot to talk about and to like/dislike about his work, I'm sure people can focus on that.

The one thing you mentioned I agree with, is that any designer's behaviour is closely observed within the industry (even if, gossip travels faster than truth over there). Some are better than others at hiding their demons (or that they are assh**** to be honest), that's for sure.

Whatever he is, or isn't, going through I do hope he will go to a fashion house that will let him develop further.

"just mentioning a possible scenario" was just for argument sake to put it context of discussing topics
i have friends that know daniel lee i know the stories but still it's not about dishing everything to drive a point in general either way pro or contra.

in context of him as a public persona if things are done in public or work context like miss behaving or showing signs of intoxication etc its fair to discuss on line as many other even less important topics are discussed with much conviction and passion to say it nicely.

If one want to keep their sexual or substance abuse private then one must make effort to keep them privat you can't ask for privacy when your doing things publicly basicly...especially when it's this grey area of law and moral grounds. people will judge

i dont think its brings progress to police speculation by shutting it down with labeling it xyz , as one can not narrate the public discussion online its a messy procees any ways.

i appreciate your thoughts nonetheless

from what i gather so far he's personal stubborn behavior/privat issues and in work (keeping it broadly without filling any ... in ) did bring his work in jeopardy and the patchy outcome of his Burberry is the results of all these factors as well.

I think he can still make the best out of it wherever he goes after a break in more than one way.

 

[Olaffo]

Kill me but Meiers should go to Chanel.

 

[yslforever]

Kill me but Meiers should go to Chanel.

So you’re in for a public stoning ?

 

[Lola701]

Kill me but Meiers should go to Chanel.

Now I’m joining the Hedi camp to Kill you lol

 

[LadyJunon]

Please, the Meiers aren't even officially out there is no way he'd be seen at the Jil HQs

I wouldn't be suprised if he is. It's extremely common for executives to look for a new CD while the current CD is still at the brand as it reduces the amount of interim time. Also, the contract timelines match up, so they won't have to wait too long.

 

[FashioNarrating]

An unpopular opinion maybe, but Daniel's offerings for Burberry aren't - or should I say weren't, since they are barely promoting/selling them - that bad at all and I am not really blaming him for how the brand is performing.
To me, it's a situation different than, say, Raf at Calvin, because Lee did present things that are in line with what Burberry is as a house and didn't turn it into an unmarketable fever dream. Ok, the duck beanie was a joke and the 1st show overall wasn't a hit in its frumpiness, but most of the stuff I've seen in person looks solid, from his takes on plaid to the variations of loafers with metal plates. People are kind of omitting he is rather capable of putting together things that are grounded, yet desirable (his Bottega was quite strong across many categories and laid the base for its current success + he was obviously responsible for a lot at Céline) and that is very much what's needed at Jil Sander. The Meiers have turned it into a brand of decorative minimalism, a lane crowded by trend chasers who think keeping it reduced means having permanently wet-looking hair, a meticulously curated feed and a coat with no buttons so that you (have to) hold it and look aloof.. while Jil was all about creating things that should be equally functional and aesthetically pleasing due to the focus on fabrics and cuts with a few chosen details. Which is what Daniel did well - his confidently cut shirts, outerwear and tailoring with the signature V were more than satisfying - before he started feeding into the hype machine at BV and then tried to repeat it at Burberry.

 

[LadyJunon]

I agree. The Meiers are minimalists, but it's that genre of tricky non-functional minimalism that was born from the abyss that is Raf Simons. The Meiers' JS is designed for a static woman who doesn't exist outside of social media posts and street style photography. Daniel Lee may not be the best technician, but he is grounded and realistic, something that Jil Sander desperately needs.

 

[tourbillions]

if i were the suits, i would have put in the brief to build on what tisci offered while slowly adding in their own aesthetic (in this case lee's). This total rebrand was so unnecessary specially with the trajectory of tiscis burberry.

 

[PDFSD]

I wouldn't be suprised if he is. It's extremely common for executives to look for a new CD while the current CD is still at the brand as it reduces the amount of interim time. Also, the contract timelines match up, so they won't have to wait too long.

yes what happened at gucci when the friction was already on going for a while the conversations started already as back up

 

[proseccotabis]

yes what happened at gucci when the friction was already on going for a while the conversations started already as back up

someone in the thread was genuinely surprised that a potential new candidate for the role was in the building during the existing tenure of other CD/s. People seem to forget that brands are brutal and would do anything to keep the business going.

 

[PDFSD]

if i were the suits, i would have put in the brief to build on what tisci offered while slowly adding in their own aesthetic (in this case lee's). This total rebrand was so unnecessary specially with the trajectory of tiscis burberry.

i think the idea of total rebrand works as a effort to reposition a brand when the base is not strong other than historically having some autotrity or cultural relevance like Burberry lacked a clear core product offer beyond its trench and tartan all the previous CD´s with each effort did not leave lasting products behind of brand codes , so the best bet is to try to reform the brand and re establish codes that make it uniques like the blue and the prorsum etc where valid thing to do.

where it went wrong was in the choice of actual final product design that did capture fully a wave of hype and fans to kick start the rebrand in a successful way and pricing balance also nailed any doubt into a no.

but i firmly believe that desirable product that clicks with the spirit of the time regardless of pricing will attracted always buyers and hype.

the simplicity that Lee at had BV is needed here at Burberry from the start he went way to much into the quirky and forgot to play with classic taste as well and he double down on this without correcting this in following shows much like ancora guy.

i liked when Marc at LV or even Tom at Gucci both had first shows that missed the mark, they completely got the assignment in the next shows and turned the faith of both brand around for the better and the rest is history.

some fashion houses and CD forget that fashion is also about reacting to our times .