MILAN — What happened at Bottega Veneta?
The news on Wednesday evening that the Italian company and Daniel Lee were parting ways took the industry by surprise, given the success and level of attention the creative director brought to the brand in a little more than three years.
Precisely because of this upward trajectory, sources, who mainly spoke on condition of anonymity, were left wondering what could have triggered this abrupt split. Many speculated that Kering’s decision was a “brave” one that had to be taken despite the successful streak, which leads them to believe personal issues were stronger than the bottom line.
One source said a “highly dependable, veteran expert in the operations and supply chain department at the Vicenza headquarters, a key reference point for the company, quit last week, and this is just the latest exit in so many. It must have been the last straw.”
Another source said several highly skilled artisans in Vicenza were “struggling and “unhappy with the atmosphere at the company.”
According to multiple sources, Lee was highly creative and influential with his designs, but clashed with several people within the company and was defined as “uncommunicative.”
“At a moment when the company is healthy and the brand performing so
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