Some people believe they understand the Tory Burch aesthetic because of the ubiquitous recognisable gold metal lettering on shoes and handbags, but Burch has recently focused on the unexpected.
Her fall/winter 2023 presentation at New York Fashion Week on Monday night featured deconstructed pieces in rich hues and textiles that surprised the audience.
Burch enjoys a dramatic setting and says the space at the historic Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank (built in 1909 in the Beaux-Arts style) in downtown Manhattan set the tone, with mercurial shapes and artworks twisting into themselves, projected onto the towering ornate walls and a mysterious curtain that revealed the models as they entered.
“I just felt it was such an interesting place to experiment with distortion,” Burch said after the event to The Associated Press. “The collection is all about distortion and femininity, so simply looking at Venus and having her feel warped, and the architecture… you’re looking at something, and that’s perception vs reality.”
The exhibition featured classic Burch shades like navy, brown, black, and olive, but with pops of colour in red or metallic shoes and purses. Many styles, however, reflected deconstruction motifs, such as asymmetrical lines in skirts and belts, long jackets, exaggerated blouse cuffs, and long and slouchy sleeves and pants.
“It was supposed to be a little undone,” Burch explained. “I wanted to destroy that idea and attack the concept of what is femininity and beauty, what is perfection?”
The colour and fabric combinations were also unexpected, such as a long navy wool jacket that hugged the model’s figure and was topped with vivid lime green satin slacks that overflowed over pointed shoes. The jumbo-sized safety pins used to accent skirts and dresses, as well as in punk-style earrings, stood out. Another major aspect was the mix of casual and expensive textiles. A denim knee-length skirt was matched with a navy wool peacoat with a shearling collar in one ensemble.
“The satin was this classic lingerie idea, looks that women normally cover, shapewear that I wanted to expose and make beautiful,” Burch explained. “I twisted them, we developed different proportions, and they were off kilter.”
Burch presentations frequently attract celebrity guests, both on the runway and in the audience. Front row visitors featured actors Claire Foy, Suki Waterhouse, and Lana Condor, as well as models Emily Ratajkowski and Irina Shayk.
Ashley Graham, a model, said she admires Burch for creating apparel that is available in practically any size. Graham said she struggled to hold back her tears when she witnessed her model friends walk the runway.
“When I’m seeing the girls walk in the show, I’m like, ‘It’s OK, you’ve got this,'” she says. Yes! You’re not going down. You’re in charge. ‘You’re a model!’ And it takes everything in me not to yell some of their names,” Graham laughed.
Is Tory Burch a high-end designer? Tory Burch is a premium lifestyle brand, although it is not a high-end luxury designer brand like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, or Gucci. Tory Burch’s products are widely regarded as high-quality, with a focus on timeless and fashionable designs.
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