Tory Burch's celebrity-studded Fall 2024 show at the New York Public Library's Astor Hall on Monday night was worlds away from TRB by Tory Burch's debut collection launched in February 2004 with the help of friends and family in a small store in NoLIta.
Isn't that sublime?
In 20 years, Burch has matured into a force in American design that increasingly approaches the level of creativity and polish of much older traditional European brands. He's built a business with nearly $2 billion in revenue, proving that fashion dreams can come true (and access to capital helps a lot).
“It's one of my favorite words and I don't think people use it a lot,” Burch said of her vision of making the everyday sublime, as seen in the wonderfully extravagant, gathered and ruffled nylon minidresses made from shower caps. of all things, as well as a jacquard top and skirt with the word “sublime” repeated in script.
In this historic year, Burch said in a recent interview about his 20th anniversary that he doesn't really want to look back, but there were a few Easter eggs that seemed to indicate where he came from.
She continued to evolve her design language, exploring unconventional materials such as sequin fringe, paper leather and tinsel raffia to create dresses and outerwear with intriguing textures. Tropes of feminine domesticity—shower caps, knee-highs, and slips—became symbols of elegance. And she generated sex appeal in vinyl jumpsuits, lace-edged nylon slips and sheer mesh skirts dotted with sequins.
Burch played with shape and volume in fabulous lampshade skirts and sleeveless dresses, and added retro-futuristic extras like compact knit hoodies, ergonomic minaudières, and a new version of the Pierce shoe that is a molded shoe. . Also on the accessories front, a new version of the Lee bag with handles that can be folded to convert a shopper bag into a clutch.
Of particular note was the tailoring, which seemed more elevated, including futuristic versions of uniforms on military jackets, a mainstay of the brand since Sgt. Pepper Jacket Days; a calf-zip black fur skirt and jacket with an OG Tory dickey, and a raw-edged striped pantsuit that was a distant cousin of the Baja hoodie from the designer's spring runway. 2011.
After all, you can't build heritage without looking back.
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