ON MARCH
16, 2011, the Art de Vivre Fashion Talks, presented by the French
Institute Alliance Française in New York, kicked off a series
of talks with a one-on-one discussion with the famous American designer,
Tory Burch. According to FIAF, its
aim is to provide ‘innovative and unique programmes’,
such as Fashion Talks.
This year’s Fashion Talks, hosted by the Chief
Curator of the Musée de la Mode et du Textile at the Louvre
Palace, Pamela Golbin, let us in on
Burch’s thought processes and ideas.
Growing up in Pennsylvania, Burch landed in New York City working
alongside a number of fashion designers. Her personal fashion horizons
expanded, eventually becoming a popular icon in the fashion industry.
Her famous golden double-T logo has developed into a
fashionable trade mark in a short period of seven years. Besides
being a designer, she is also a mother of three boys, and describes
the challenges that she has learned to overcome and face over the
past years: I have many challenges, one of which is being
a mother and working. The secret to balancing these two jobs
requires, Time management, says the designer. I
wake up early and I’m home by six
I take my boys to
school in the morning and I try to get home for dinner.
The Tory Burch brand was launched in February 2004,
but the designer’s success began in 2005 when Burch was invited
to be the ‘next big thing in fashion’ on The Oprah
Winfrey Show. Oprah came to film in New York and we had
a fashion show on her show and the next morning we had eight million
hits on the site, explains the designer.
In 2008, the Council of Fashion Designers of America
chose Tory Burch as its Accessory Designer of the Year: To
be given an award by your peers is great, says Burch.
Throughout the years, during New York Fashion Week,
Burch has mainly organized presentations rather than fashion shows.
She explains why she solely focuses on this idea, Originally,
[I chose presentations instead of fashion shows] for cost [reasons]
but it is also easier for editors and journalists.
In terms of her style and designs, she describes them as being,
‘classic with a little bit of a twist.’ The most important
question that Burch and her team ask themselves when designing is,
‘Would I wear this?’ She illustrates what happens when
the design process begins: We talk and think of a place or
a decade
and we think about colours
It’s an
organic process. Burch portrays her spring 2011 collection as being an ‘evolution
fluid silhouettes.’ The collection mainly evokes the
60s and 70s theme. Burch is highly inspired by this
particular time period.
In February 2011, during New York Fashion Week, Tory
Burch presented her fall 2011 collection. The new season’s
collection had flowing and sophisticated looks. The models sustained
natural appearances, with straight hair and a delicate dab of make-up.
The clothing portrayed details, a display of colours and classiness.
Burch creates wearable, comfortable and elegant clothing fit for
women of all ages.
Starting September 2011, Burch will put on the first
Tory Burch catwalk show during New York Fashion Week.
Tory Burch’s flat shoes are exceedingly popular,
providing women with a stylish, comfortable and attractive fashion
statement. Flats are chic and I love the way they look
it’s all about comfort and style.
Burchs stated goal is, ‘To provide the
best products to customers for the least amount of money.’
She describes another objective she hopes to accomplish: I
want to teach young girls that it is important to have a choice.
Other than choice, the designer also discusses the importance of
confidence, an element she believes women should also wear. Another
word of advice she provides women with is, Women should dress
their age
also know what looks great
Follow trends
without them looking too trendy.
Currently, there are 45 Tory Burch boutiques in America,
Asia and Europe. Burch is at present becoming an internationally
recognized designer. I think the heart and soul of our brand
is American, for sure, but we are also global
she says.
Lola Saab is Paris editor of Lucire.
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