Burberry President Christopher Bailey Stepping Down After 17 Years

After starting at the company in 2001, Burberry's president and chief creative officer Christopher Bailey will step down from his role in the spring. He'll still design the British luxury brand's spring '18 collection as the label looks for his replacement.

During his time at chief creative officer, Bailey helped to grow the company immensely, revitalizing the brand's luxury direction after Burberry's signature check had begun to be used in several cheap knockoffs. He brought great financial growth to the company, and was recognized for innovative digital publicity moves like livestreaming runway shows, as well as redesigning the brand's flagship stores.

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In a statement, Bailey said "It has been the great privilege of my working life to be at Burberry, working alongside and learning from such an extraordinary group of people over the last 17 years," Business of Fashionreports. "I am excited to pursue new creative projects but remain fully committed to the future success of this magnificent brand and to ensuring a smooth transition."

BoF reports Phoebe Philo of Celine as a possible replacement for Bailey, though the brand denied her departure to be "imminent."

"Burberry has undergone an incredible transformation since 2001 and Christopher has been instrumental to the company's success in that period," Burberry chief executive Marco Gobbetti said in a statement. "We have a clear vision for the next chapter to accelerate the growth and success of the Burberry brand and I am excited about the opportunity ahead for our teams, our partners and our shareholders."