November 10, 2021 |
Now that’s the sort of news we weren’t expecting to hear this Wednesday afternoon. Bottega Veneta and Daniel Lee have announced their joint decision to part ways in a shock announcement broken by The New York Times’ Vanessa Friedman on Twitter.
At the helm of the house for just over three years, the news comes mere weeks after the designer showed his SS22 collection in Detroit, Michigan, along with the opening of a new Bottega Veneta pop-up store in London’s Shoreditch
In an official statement, Lee writes: “My time at Bottega Veneta has been an incredible experience. I am grateful to have worked with an exceptional and talented team and I am forever thankful to everyone who was part of creating our vision. Thank you to Francois-Henri Pinault for his support, and for the opportunity to be part of Bottega Veneta’s story.”
François-Henri Pinault, chairman & CEO of Kering, writes: “I am very grateful to Daniel for having brought his passion and energy to Bottega Veneta. His singular vision made the House’s heritage relevant for today and put it back to the center of the fashion scene. I would like to personally thank him for the unique chapter that he has written in the long history of Bottega Veneta.”
All the obvious questions hang in the balance – where’s Daniel Lee headed next? Who’s going to replace him? Will Bottega get back on the ‘gram? Is the entire globe about dress in Bottega green to mourn the designer’s departure? Let’s just hope it isn’t too long till we see Lee at the helm of a great house again.
Portrait courtesy of Bottega Veneta.
