Will Bottega Veneta Suffer the Same Fate as Celine in the Wake of Daniel Lee's Departure?
- Amber Louise
- Nov 15, 2021
- 2 min read
News of Creative Director of Bottega Veneta, Daniel Lee, parting ways with the luxury brand shocked the fashion industry this week. The announcement caused a swirl of questions surrounding the brand, as devotees wonder where Lee will go and what’s next for Bottega Veneta. Undoubtedly, my only question is this: Will Bottega Veneta suffer from the loss of Lee at the helm? Furthermore, will the brand follow the same path as Celine? Those are the million-dollar questions, quite literally.
The news, feeling eerily similar to that of Celine's announcement back in January of 2018, has already sparked an uproar throughout Lee's fan base. Beginning his time at Bottega Veneta in 2019, Lee brought the brand to the forefront of luxury; somewhere it had never been before. Redefining the identity of a brand in the way that Lee managed to do is something very similar to what Phoebe Philo did for Celine. Formerly Céline under Philo’s direction, the French luxury label captured the modern woman through minimalistic femininity. Philo became known for valuing simplicity and clean lines, present throughout her work, during her ten-year span as Creative Director.
In January of 2018, it was publicized that Phoebe Philo was stepping down as Creative Director of Celine and that Hedi Slimane would be replacing her. Known for revitalizing Saint Laurent and dropping the Yves in a chaotic turning of the tables kind of way, it was no surprise when the accent on the ‘e’ was dropped and modernized. This did not sit well with Philo’s supporters, at all.
Slimane was at the helm of the ship and it was sinking. Figuratively, of course, because although Celine lost a colossal—and unimaginably loyal—following, Celine has gained tremendous financial success under Slimane. You might be wondering how this is possible; other than having a group of dedicated fans himself, he introduced menswear to Celine for the first time. And to catch the eyes of millennials—which hadn’t previously looked to Celine—he brought a punk rock angle to his collections. In terms of the fashion itself, that couldn’t be replaced, and Philo’s magic touch was lost. Social media accounts pay tribute to the ‘Old Céline’ as Philo’s incredible work is honoured and continues to captivate viewers.
Similar to Philo, Lee not only redefined Bottega Veneta but brought the brand into the limelight. Creating a distinctive image for the brand with the use of terrific branding, colour use, and designs, Bottega Veneta saw a huge rise in sales as designers and celebrities praised Lee’s work. His three years at the label put them in an advantageous position in the luxury market and consumers' minds alike.
When another designer begins their work at Bottega Veneta, will all that Daniel Lee accomplished be abolished with a tumultuous rebrand? Consequently, they’ll lose a large following, comparable to Celine. After all, Bottega Veneta already had Instagram accounts dedicated to Daniel Lee’s work as Creative Director. Only time will tell if Lee’s Bottega Veneta will become the ‘Old Bottega’.
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