Daniel Lee succeeds Tomas Maier as creative director at Bottega Veneta

At 32, Lee has formerly held roles at Maison Margiela, Balenciaga and Donna Karan before joining Celine as Director of Ready-to-Wear in 2012.

Kering-owned Italian Maison Bottega Veneta has appointed Daniel Lee as its new creative director, succeeding Tomas Maier, who ended his 17-year tenure with the brand last week.

“I’m both honored and excited to continue the legacy that has been created at Bottega Veneta over the last five decades,” Lee said of his new responsibility. “Maintaining the ingrained codes of the House, craftsmanship, quality and sophistication, I look forward to evolving what has gone before, while contributing a new perspective and modernity.”

At 32, Lee has formerly held roles at Maison Margiela, Balenciaga and Donna Karan before joining Celine as Director of Ready-to-Wear in 2012. The British-born Central Saint Martins graduate may not be a renowned figure, but neither was Alessandro Michelle when he was appointed to helm Gucci in 2015 – a pattern Kering chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault has become notorious for.

Tomas Maier departs Bottega Veneta after 17 years as its creative director.

“I am very pleased to welcome Daniel Lee to Kering as Creative Director of Bottega Veneta,” Pinault said in a statement.

“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,” he added.

Despite reporting a compound annual growth rate of 24 percent under Maier’s term, the brand has seen a slow in growth this year – something Claus Dietrich Lahrs, CEO of Bottega Veneta is confident will pick up with Lee’s new direction.

“Daniel Lee has a deep understanding of the House’s current challenges both in terms of creation and development. He will bring to Bottega Veneta a new and distinctive creative language that will continue building the House’s success based on the ambitious foundations already developed over recent years,” Lahrs said.

But how Lee plans to steer the course ahead remains to be seen, and the fashion world will surely be watching come his first show in September.