Daniel Lee rumoured to be fleeing Burberry for Jil Sander
Daniel Lee, Chief Creative Officer at Burberry, is set to exit the struggling British retailer and head to Jil Sander, the German luxury brand known for influencing the minimalist style that defined the fashion of the 1990s.
Jil Sander is a luxury brand "dedicated to modern design and innovation". Launched in 1968 by Jil Sander, the fashion house presented its first women’s collection in Hamburg in 1973.
If the rumours are true, Daniel Lee will succeed design duo Luke and Lucie Meier, who have been at the helm of Jil Sander since April 2017. The pair will stage their final show in the next women's ready-to-wear season in Milan in late February.
Similarly to his departure from Bottega Veneta (where he established Bottega Green) Daniel Lee will leave Burberry (where he established Burberry Blue) and land on his feet with the job lined up at Jil Sander. So, what colour will he coin at Sander, the brand renowned for its neutrals?
Back in September 2022, Burberry appointed Daniel Lee as Chief Creative Officer, replacing Riccardo Tisci in the role. From 2018 to 2021, Lee served as Creative Director at Bottega Veneta. Prior to this, he was Director of ready-to-wear design at Celine under Pheobe Philo and has also worked at Maison Margiela, Balenciaga and Donna Karan.
During his time at Bottega Veneta, Lee turned it into the powerhouse it is today for Kering. However, the designer had a harder time balancing Burberry's heritage and his penchant for minimalist codes. With this in mind, it seems that the British designer is a strong fit for minimalist Jil Sander.
- Daniel Lee for Burberry, AW23
These rumours surface as Burberry embarks on a mission to bring it back from the red and into the black. In November 2024, Burberry launched a £40 million cost-cutting programme as part of a plan to turn the company around, after sales continued falling in the second quarter.
Chief Executive Joshua Schulman, who joined the company in July, said he wants it to focus on "productivity, simplification and financial discipline".
The fashion house swung to a £53 million loss for the half-year ending 28 September, down from £223 million profit for the same period last year.