Yesterday, British fashion designer Daniel Lee announced he’d be leaving Bottega Veneta, the Italian luxury house he’s spent the last three years bringing back to its former glory with puffy, woven accessories, a brand new line of menswear and plenty of *that* undeniably fetching forest green.

“Bottega Veneta and Daniel Lee announce their joint decision to end their collaboration,” read a simple press statement from the brand. The news comes off the back of Lee’s off-calendar SS22 show, where he paid tribute to America’s industrial heartland and the birthplace of Techno music, Detroit, with a star-studded runway and plenty of musical splendour.

Lee, a Central Saint Martins alum, had joined the house back in 2018, following a six-year stint at Celine working in collaboration with Phoebe Philo to create the house’s minimal design aesthetic. Before this, Lee had interned at Maison Margiela, worked under Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga and also landed a graduate job at Donna Karan back in 2010.

As these things go, the rumour mill has been swirling with a slew of fashion conspiracies, with many pointing out that Philo is gearing up to launch her own brand. But if we’ve learnt anything from Lee’s off-the-grid tenure in Milan, the powerhouse designer’s next move is sure to be totally unpredictable.