Wwd, the American site dedicated to the global fashion industry, lor called it a “surprise split”, a surprise divorce : the news of the exit of the English-born designer Daniel Lee – born in 1986 – from Bottega Veneta is striking because it was not preceded by the usual indiscretions. The designer had taken over the house of the Kering group – French on the identity card, but deeply Italian for its history and roots in the Veneto region – three years ago, in July 2018, at a time when Bottega Veneta needed to rediscover the “magic touch” of Tomas Maier, who had been its creative director for 17 years and had announced the divorce (apparently consensual also in his case ) in July 2018.
The ritual (cryptic) communication
The official press release speaks of “end of the collaboration” and contains the usual thanks to Daniel Lee from the CEO of Bottega Veneta, Leo Rongone and François-Henri Pinault, president and CEO of Kering, the second luxury group in the world after Lvmh. The designer reciprocates with as many thanks and on Lee’s successor we read only a cryptic “a new creative organization for the House will be announced soon”: the new organization of the maison’s creative department will be announced shortly.
The past and the future
Founded in 1966 in Vicenza by Michele Taddei and Renzo Zengiaro, Bottega Veneta became part of the portfolio of the French group (then Ppr, today Kering) in 2001 through the acquisition of Gucci group. On October 19, Kering – listed on the Paris Stock Exchange – announced the results for the first nine months : turnover grew to 4.18 billion, i.e. 36.6% over 2020 and 9% compared to pre-Covid levels in 2019. In the third quarter alone, the increase was 10% compared to the same period two years ago. Total revenues amounted to 4.18 billion euros. In the July-September period, Bottega Veneta’s turnover grew by 9.3% to 363.4 million