Face of Bottega Veneta: Daniel Lee Who is He?
New ‘Bottega Veneta’ era has arrived since 33 year old young British fashion designer ‘Daniel Lee’ took over a creative director as 55 year old Italian Luxury Brand ‘Bottega Veneta’. He literally changed this brand from old generation loved brand to young generation mostly loved brand in 2021. It only took about 3 years to become the face of Bottega Veneta. So, who is he?
Very little was known about Daniel Lee when Kering suprisingly announced in mid-June. Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering has said
“The singularity of his vision inspired by a very personal creative approach convinced me that he was best able to open a new chapter in the history of the House. His work is characterized by great rigor, a mastery of studio expertise, a true passion for materials and an energy that I cannot wait to see take shape at Bottega Veneta.”
Daniel Lee doesn’t like to be public, he does what he wants to do and want s to be seen his cloth as itself, design just like Martin Margiela.
“Whereas when I saw Margiela’s approach, it kind of opened me up to the idea that you can really work in any way you want to. I mean, with how many other designers do you actually remember the work before the person? I always wanted to be that kind of designer. — Daniel Lee’s Interview at 032c”
He even doesn’t have SNS account after being a creative director as Bottega Veneta, and its Instagram account has removed abruptly to the surprise of its millions of followers. The brand’s decision to sign off of Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook is part of their desire to create more meaningful content that doesn’t fit the mold of any particular algorithm or feed. Daniel Lee wants more creative way to show his brand.
“I’m not someone who’s particularly digital — I’m not so much on Instagram or on the Internet. I much prefer real life exchange. — Daniel Lee’s Interview at 032c”
“Social media represents the homogenisation of culture. A huge amount of thought goes into what I do, and social media oversimplifies it,” Creative Director Daniel Lee told The Guardian in an interview.
Instead, Bottega Veneta released their new quarterly digital journal, Issued by Bottega, which uses web design to curate their story by their own rules. It invites fans to flip through pages of fashion photography, videos, music, and even listen to spoken word performances.
Now, let’s have a look what he has walked through before Bottega Veneta. He had graduated from Central Saint Martins trained by Louis Wilson.
After graduation, he had worked at a string of posts at Balenciaga under Nicolas Ghesquiere, Maison Margiela under John Galliano, Donna Karan, and as director of ready-to-wear design at Celine under Phoebe Philo(2012). At Celine, Phoebe and Daniel has made great collections that are still loved by lots of women(which are remembered as ‘oldceline’ by lots of people). They have changed how women look in modern society and redefined a modern women with Celine styling.
With his creative touch and great potential, he has already proved himself that he can design his own style. Among lots of love-calls by other luxury Brands, he chose ‘Bottega Veneta’, and it won’t take long now until his vision for Bottega Veneta starts to come into focus to the people. Under Daniel Lee’s lead, Bottega Veneata becomes one of the most loved brand from 2018. He had changed design of brand’s iconic design with his own while remaining the legacy of brand. Literally, do what he wants to do, but keeps the DNA of the brand, which is genius.
“Fashion is about freedom, self-expression, and letting go. That level of provocation and possibility is what we try and achieve through the imagery, which isn’t massively product-driven — it’s about conveying an emotion. For us, the element of skin and nudity is very important too, and it’s something that now is almost frowned upon. I don’t like the idea that to be intellectual you have to dress like a pilgrim. Everybody wants to feel good, everyone wants to have sex, everyone wants to embrace life, so why not celebrate that with clothing? — Daniel Lee’s Interview at 032c”
No one, ever, had won more than two British Fashion Awards in a night — until December 2019, when Daniel Lee, publicity-shy new design lead at Bottega Veneta, picked up four.
Designer of the Year, British Designer of the Year — Womenswear, Accessories Designer of the Year, and Brand of the Year.
What he is doing at Bottega Veneta is very interesting to watch, and it is very obvious what he wants to create through this brand. He has already proved himself in fashion industry who he is and what he can do. To be 100% not known to people person can’t be possible in modern world, but his focus on the real inside of the brand itself is working on lots of people. And this is why we are very curious about what he will do next and intrigued by his next collection.
many of my decisions are instinctive, which I think is a good thing. I try not to overthink things. I prefer to act immediately, making the best out of what’s at hand, rather than dwelling on a prolonged process. There’s no such thing as a normal day. It’s the vitality and unpredictability of each day that keep me inspired, and that’s the luxury of our work. — Daniel Lee’s Interview at 032c
I like boundaries, and I like a sense of discipline and of rules, because I think fashion really is design with a purpose and a function. So these rules and boundaries, they help to give you some kind of guidelines. — Daniel Lee’s Interview at 032c
