Christopher Paul Bailey CBE (born 11 May 1971) is a British

fashion designer Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashio ...

who was president and chief creative officer of

Burberry Burberry is a British luxury fashion house established in 1856 by Thomas Burberry headquartered in London, England. It currently designs and distributes ready to wear, including trench coats (for which it is most famous), leather accessorie ...

. In May 2014, he took up the role of chief creative officer and president, following the departure of former CEO Angela Ahrendts. In February 2018, he was succeeded as chief creative officer by Riccardo Tisci.

Early life and education

Christopher Paul Bailey was born in

Yorkshire, England Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...

, the son of a carpenter and a window dresser for

Marks and Spencer Marks and Spencer Group plc (commonly abbreviated to M&S and colloquially known as Marks's or Marks & Sparks) is a major British multinational retailer with headquarters in Paddington, London that specialises in selling clothing, beauty, home ...

. He graduated from the

Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It ...

with a master's degree in 1994, where he was later awarded an honorary fellowship in 2004 and, in 2013, an honorary-doctorate degree.

Career

From 1994 to 1996, he was the womenswear designer at

Donna Karan Donna Karan (, born Donna Ivy Faske), also known as "DK", is an American fashion designer and the creator of the Donna Karan New York and DKNY clothing labels. Early life Karan was born Donna Ivy Faske to mother Helen "Queenie" Faske (née Rabin ...

and senior designer of womenswear at

Gucci Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragranc ...

in Milan from 1996 to 2001. He joined

in May 2001 as design director and became creative director in 2004, and chief creative officer in November 2009. In 2008, Bailey, alongside Angela Ahrendts, established the Burberry Foundation, dedicated to helping young people realise their dreams and potential through the power of their creativity. The Burberry Foundation invests in select charities focused on supporting young people in the key cities in regions where the majority of Burberry employees live and work, and where they are able to participate in volunteer roles. On 15 October 2013, Bailey was named as the next CEO of Burberry following Angela Ahrendts's departure to Apple in mid-2014. Bailey took up the role of chief creative officer and CEO on 1 May 2014. Bailey is credited with transforming the fortunes of the company, turning it into the luxury industry's digital leader and overseeing a reinvigoration of the company's design. Bailey masterminded the design of Burberry's largest store, 121 Regent Street in London, opened in 2012, a bricks-and-mortar incarnation of the brand's website. He also oversaw the design and development of the Burberry Global Headquarters at Horseferry House in London, opened in 2009. In July 2016, it was announced that Marco Gobbetti, CEO of

Céline Céline, sometimes spelled Celine, is a French female first name of Latin origin, coming from ''Caelīna'', the feminine form of the Roman cognomen ''Caelīnus'', meaning "heavenly".

, would be the next CEO of

. Gobbetti took over from Bailey in November 2017, who then transitioned to the role of president while also retaining the title of chief creative officer. In July 2017, Gobbetti replaced Bailey as CEO. Bailey resigned from the board in March 2018 and departed entirely from Burberry the following December.

Personal life

While in Milan, Bailey met and began dating Geert Cloet, brand designer for

Miu Miu Miu Miu is an Italian high fashion women's clothing and accessory brand and a fully owned subsidiary of Prada. It is headed by Miuccia Prada and headquartered in Paris, France. History Miu Miu was established in 1992 by Miuccia Prada. The name ...

. He split his time between his home in Milan and

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

. When Cloet was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2004, he and Bailey moved to

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a Historic counties of England, historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other Eng ...

to be near Bailey's family. Cloet died the next year. Bailey has been in a relationship with British actor

Simon Woods Simon Woods (born 7 January 1980) is an English actor and playwright best known for his role as Octavian in Season 2 of the British-American television series '' Rome'' and the 2005 '' Pride & Prejudice'' as Charles Bingley. Personal life Wo ...

since 2009, and they married in 2012. They have two daughters, Iris and Nell. In May 2014 Bailey became the first openly gay executive among

FTSE 100 The Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index, also called the FTSE 100 Index, FTSE 100, FTSE, or, informally, the "Footsie" , is a share index of the 100 companies listed on the London Stock Exchange with (in principle) the highest marke ...

corporations. Bailey is mentoring emerging British creative talent from UK institutions including the

and the

University of Huddersfield , mottoeng = Thus not for you alone , established = 1825 – Huddersfield Science and Mechanics' Institute1992 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £2.47 million (2015) , chancellor = George W. Buckley , vice_chancell ...

Awards

*2004 – Honorary fellowship, the

where Bailey graduated from with a master of arts degree in 1994 *2005 – Designer of the Year,

British Fashion Awards The Fashion Awards, known as the British Fashion Awards until 2016, is an annual ceremony established in the United Kingdom in 1989 to showcase both British and international individuals and businesses who have made the most outstanding contribu ...

(UK) *2006 – Honorary-doctorate degree, the

University of Westminster The University of Westminster is a public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first polytechnic to open in London. The Polytechnic formally received a Royal charter in Aug ...

, where Bailey graduated from with a BA in 1990 *2007 – Menswear Designer of the Year 2007,

(UK) *2007 – Honorary degree, doctorate of science from the

, Yorkshire *2008 – Menswear Designer of the Year 2008,

(UK) *2009 – Designer of the Year, British Fashion Awards (UK) *2009 – Honorary Patron of the

University Philosophical Society The University Philosophical Society (UPS; ), commonly known as The Phil, is a student paper-reading and debating society in Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 1683 it is the oldest student, collegial and paper-reading society in t ...

Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

*2009 – Appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) in Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II Birthday 2009 Honours List for Services to the Fashion Industry *2010 – International Award, Council of Fashion Designers of America *2011 – Honorary-doctorate degree from

Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The university is based on two sites; the City Campus is located in the city centre near Sheffield railway station, while the Collegiate ...

, Yorkshire *2013 – Menswear Designer of the Year 2013,

(UK) *2013 – Honorary-doctorate degree,

, London

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bailey, Christopher English fashion designers English businesspeople in fashion Menswear designers 1971 births Living people English chief executives Gay men LGBT businesspeople from the United Kingdom LGBT fashion designers English LGBT people Alumni of the Royal College of Art Alumni of the University of Westminster Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People from Halifax, West Yorkshire 21st-century English businesspeople 21st-century British businesspeople Burberry people 21st-century LGBT people