Bottega Veneta creative director Daniel Lee leaving post

MILAN (AP) — Daniel Lee is leaving his job as creative director at Bottega Veneta after three years and creating the brand’s distinctive cloud-like bags and puffy-weave slip-on footwear.

Bottega Veneta did not give a reason for the surprise departure of the 35-year-old British designer, who joined the Italian fashion house in July 2018. The company, which revealed the news Wednesday, said a new creative organization would be announced soon.

The fashion house’s CEO, Leo Rongone, credited Lee’s creative vision with helping the brand grow over the last three years.

“He provided Bottega Veneta with a fresh perspective and a new sense of modernity, while remaining respectful of the brand’s 50-year heritage,’’ Rongone said in a statement.

Lee joined Bottega Veneta, which is owned by the French group Kering, from Celine, where he was womenswear director.

His accessories enjoyed quick success at the Italian fashion house, especially the soft leather Pouch bags and square-toed pumps and sandals.

Lee took the top four prizes at the 2019 British Fashion Awards. His tenure also saw an abrupt change in marketing, leaving Bottega Veneta fans bemused when it disappeared from social media for a spell.

During the pandemic, as many fashion houses experimented with ways of communicating with clients and customers in the absence of live runway shows, Bottega Veneta opted for salon-style previews, first in London, then Berlin and Detroit.

Kering Chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault, said in a statement that Lee’s “singular vision made the house’s heritage relevant for today and put it back to the center of the fashion scene.”