Christopher Bailey admits Burberry was in an old rut when he joined

Christopher Bailey admits Burberry was in an “old rut” when he joined.

The designer started at the fashion house in May 2001 as creative director before being made chief creative director in November 2009 and says there was a lot of work to do to make the brand more modern.

He said: “I never wanted to be a number one person; I was always happy being a number two person. When I joined Burberry, I was 29 – a kid – and Burberry was very old, not specifically in age, but in its mindset. Burberry was just in an old rut. There was no energy whatsoever, it was a company based on past glory.”

Since Christopher joined, the label has experience a huge resurgence and he believes it’s because everyone who works there enjoys their job.

He told Britain’s Vogue magazine: “We’re a young team, but we’re now. We’re the biggest grower in the FTSE, with over 7,000 employees. And it’s serious, and I take that as a serious responsibility – the decisions we’re making affect a lot of people’s lives – and it’s busy. It’s fun!

“You can either decide this is a hellish nightmare or you can decide this is fun. What I’ve learnt is, I’m quite thirsty for moving on, for newness. I love new projects.”