Tory Burch: Confident, commercial and cool

Tory Burch’s upwards trajectory continues apace, with a brilliant collection and smartly staged show Monday night, reconfirming her as one of the half dozen designers who really matter in American fashion today.

Her cast entering the soaring teller’s office in a former bank building on Chambers Street. Its backdrop was a giant curtain featuring neo classical architecture, pulled up to reveal the models coming into the show.

Ladies marched rapidly, women very much on the move just like Burch’s followers and indeed her own brand.

Slimline ribbed knits, knee wrap skirts made in mannish fabrics and wide-sleeved trenches. Innovating subtly, Burch introduced some great new suits in a sleek silhouette made of elongated one-button Edwardian jackets and flared pants – either in corduroy or wool.

Like the top designers in New York this season, she rigorously self-edits, one biproduct of the pandemic is the banishment of much unneeded adornment. Prints were also completely absent.

Hence, her divine tobacco suede coats hanging off the shoulder and nipped by a nonchalantly tied belt, cool glam gold boyish shirts and fur shoulder battleship gray coats - all perfect. Clearly commercial and classy and cool. Throughout, subtly challenging many ideas of what traditional femininity is meant to be.

Plus, she played on a key trend in Manhattan, placing select elements of interior construction or underwear like brassieres on the outside.

“I wanted to take the idea of elements that were traditionally hidden and expose them and make things more beautiful. Enhance what we used to hide,” smiled Burch backstage.

For evening, Tory’s metallic silk tea length dresses with metallic cupro or power mesh were all tremendously flattering. And her accessories again were very precise – from clever broken heel court shoes to multiple ear clips, a prevalent style element in New York today.

“I hope it’s a woman who has more confidence and doesn’t have rules. It’s about women owning their own version of themselves,” smiled the ever-ebullient Burch.

Tory Burch: Confident, commercial and cool

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