F  L  A  U  N  T

 After 17 years, Burberry’s president and chief creative officer, Christopher Bailey, is leaving the London based brand.  Bailey joined Burberry in May 2001 as a design director and became creative director in 2004, and chief creative officer in 2009. Under Bailey, Burberry has grown into both a reputable luxury brand and innovative fashion house. He is credited for transforming the company to not only a modern fashion label (they were the first brand to live-steam its show and premiere a collection on Snapchat), but also a charitable foundation. In 2008, Bailey established the Burberry Foundation which is dedicated to helping young people realize their dreams and potential through the power of their creativity.  Bailey said in a statement: “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. I do truly believe, however, that Burberry’s best days are still ahead of her and that the company will go from strength to strength with the strategy we have developed and the exceptional talent we have in place led by Marco. I would like to thank all my colleagues as well as Sir John Peace and the Board for all their support and faith in me over the years. 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](https://www.vogue.com/article/burberry-christopher-bailey-exit)." Bailey will resign at the end of 2018 with the Spring show being his last. He will remain chief creative officer until March, 31, 2018 and will assist chief executive officer Marco Gobetti on the transition.  * * * Written by Robyn Merrett