Tory Burch

Author Note This paper was prepared for Fall CRS-231 Intro to Apparel/Retail Industries taught by Professor Sangvhi Abstract Tory Burch has developed a brand defined by classic American sportswear. The brand offers attainable, chic women’s clothing, shoes and accessories. It embodies the personal style and spirit of its CEO, Tory Burch. Throughout this paper you will discover how Tory has evolved into a well known fashion designer, business woman and philanthropist over the past couple of years. The past three years Tory has designed some incredible collections, all by which women have admired.

In her 2011, 2012, and new 2013 Spring RTW collections I will analyze the designs and key pieces of these collections. Each of her collections resembles Tory’s tom boyish style mixed with a chic touch. As I point out key designs and explain why I like and dislike the look, I will also give expert analysis on each collection. This is critique from fashion journalists, gurus, fashionistas and bloggers. Tory Burch Analysis About Tory Burch Growing up in Philadelphia, Tory was never really interested in fashion.

Her mother always had great style, and she use to love watching her get ready to go out at night. Tory later went on to go to school at the University of Pennsylvania, where she says her love for fashion grew. Upon graduation she got a job in New York, assisting Zoran the designer. She then moved on to work with Ralph Lauren where she was first a PR assistant and then an advertising copywriter. Six years later, she landed a PR assistance and advertising job with Vera Wang. Tory says, “Each of those experiences has added some element to how I run and build this company.

“I talk to entrepreneurs a lot about how each job might not be the perfect job, but you really learn from each job and you take something from that”, she said. Tory decided to stop working for awhile to spend more time with her 3 little boys. This time off is when she began thinking about starting her own company. After creating an inspiration book, she then started her own label. In 2004 it was introduced as Tory by TRB, and then in 2006 it was shortened to just Tory Burch. Tory had little design experience but working with Zoran, Ralph, and Vera trained her for what she was about to take on.

Tory’s company worked hard on the logo making sure it would stand out and resonate with consumers. Instead of wholesaling her line out to department stores and boutiques, Tory opened her own shop in downtown Manhattan where they sold the designs exclusively. By the end of its opening day, the original Tory Burch boutique had almost completely sold out of inventory. Today, each of her stores is built around the idea of “creating a retail environment that feels like you are walking into a home,” Burch said. “All of which feature orange lacquer doors, mirrored walls and Lucite fixtures,” she also explained.

By the end of the year, Burch will have opened some 25 new stores in 2012 alone. Tory Burch’s targets mostly 30 to 45 year old women. “We definitely have a very diverse customer,” said Burch. “We have a lot of Europeans and Asian women. We have a lot of girls in high school and college, but then we have a designer customer that’s wearing us, maybe to mix with her designer wardrobe. We have a downtown girl and an uptown girl. It’s a lot of different generations. And what I love about that is that they’re wearing it differently,” Tory states.

The brand’s chic, colorful designs are universally appealing to fashion insiders and mall shoppers. Her clothes resonate with many women because they’re modern without being trendy, interesting without being outlandish and very chic. The signature Reva ballerina flat, which was named by her mother, has brought in a much younger customer for her brand and has been great for her business. Her clothing is versatile enough to be part of the wardrobe of a clientele ranging from soccer moms to working women, and or socialites and wealthy women.

Ever since Tory Burch started her business seven years ago she has been able to translate her incredibly chic lifestyle into fun and wearable clothes that appeal to all women. Her customers aspire to be her or, at least, dress like her. Burch describes her personal style as “a bit tomboy”, and it’s in these kinds of clothes that she excels. Her designs flatter most body types and her colors and prints makes women look feminine without being too girly. Her signature look is a mix of ladylike silhouettes, retro patterns, and lavish embellishments. Best of all, it’s priced to wear.

Her fashions are known for including her signature double T’s logo medallion which is one of the most copied designer logos in America. Burch is known as one of the leaders in turning the t-shirt into a fashion item. With the Tory Burch brand, there are certain things that are very iconic. Color is definitely one, orange being Tory’s favorite is used throughout her pieces. Tory states” I think color is crucial in identifying a brand, particularly our brand. I think that women love color. I think it makes you feel happy when you wear it. I think for me, I like doing unusual mixes of color.

So for us, it’s a tremendously important part of our business. ” “I love embellishment, embroidery, and unusual color combinations. ” Burch says. Prints, price point, the ballet flat, and the tunic are all signature styles Tory is known for. She also has several silhouettes that she’s becoming known for and their new tote bag is evolving. SPRING 2011 COLLECTION Tory’s Spring 2011 RTW collection, inspired from the 70’s, is a mix of gold, mustard tones, bright orange, and fresh whites. Burch said “I was in the mood for elegant sportswear with clean lines and silhouettes. One look we see throughout this collection is skirts and dresses belted at the waist. There are many collared shirts and classy trench coats. The boyish cut striped suits were inspired by her father.

Maxi shirt dresses, crochet detailing and an updated poncho set this collection. We see a little of abstract prints, bright striped jersey, and a hint of bohemian ruffles. In this outfit to the right from her 2011 Spring Collection Tory uses her favorite color orange to complete this ensemble. The orange abstract knee length skirt paired with the orange top with white embroidery defiantly makes a statement.

To tie the look together, the black belt around the waist gives the girl a figure. The skirt and embroidered top make enough of a statement, in which Tory doesn’t need to add a purse and or jewelry. While keeping it simple with some fun prints Tory finishes the outfit with gold opened toed heels. I love this look because it’s fun and chic. The skirt is very flowy making it perfect for spring weather. The top also looks very lightweight making this design from the spring 2011 collection very appealing. This second design from Tory’s collection really stood out to me.

The tailored blazer and matching red and navy blue pin striped trouser pants have a look of tom boy. Underneath she layers the blazer with a shiny gold lame top to girl up the tom boy look of the suit. She accessorizes with gold hoops, and black opened toed heels. This is another look that Tory didn’t pair with a handbag which I think would have added that last girly touch it needed. It’s a look I defiantly would never think to put together, but seeing it on as a whole changes my perspective. While keeping Tory’s natural tom boy look, she makes the design feminine with the shiny top, and heels.

I like this look because of the mix of different styles, but it’s not a look everyone can pull off either. This collection is very simplistic in there is not too much layering or prints with other prints. The designs are not over done which is more appealing to the average consumer. Tory made each piece stand out and by not pairing it with contradicting patterns. This collection defiantly appeals to the everyday women and is a collection all women would like whether it’s one piece or all the designs. Perfectly contrasting prints and bold colors really set this collection apart. This collection is classic but still youthful.

Meenal Mistry had much to say about Tory’s collection such as, “even as she ticks off bigger and better milestones, the next being flagship stores in Rome and London, she’s stuck to her what-my-friends-and-I-want-to-wear strategy. ” He also said, “It was yet another step forward for Burch’s expanding empire. ” SPRING 2012 COLLECTION Tory Burch’s spring 2012 RTW collection consisted of a variety of red’s, navy’s, and yellows. Tory incorporates a lot of different patterns such as horizontal and vertical stripes and polka dots in this collection. We see a lot of knee length skirts and trouser type shorts and pants.

Also, most of the designs are of a loose fit. Tory accessorizes with long beaded necklaces in colors such as yellow, shown above, and many other colors. She uses raffia fringe to finish off many of the pieces such as purses, tops, cardigans, and shoes. Tory finishes off the look of her outfits with men like loafers which make for a more casual look and or a classier pointy toed heel and flat. In the outfit shown to the right Tory incorporates a red top with somewhat wavy white stripes. She pairs it with a red ruffled polka dot knee length skirt and white pointy toed flats.

This outfit is completed with multiple long red beaded necklaces and a cream fringe clutch. This ensemble is very clean and fresh for spring! I love this look because red is a great color for spring and I love how Tory incorporates the different patterns such as stripes and polka dots and makes it work! One thing I don’t like about this design is the loose fitted shirt and skirt hides the women’s figure. As always her outfits are very chic. With the knee length skirt it makes it very appropriate for work or church attire. A second design from Tory Burch’s spring 2012 Collection is the one shown to the left.

This all white look with a hint of red and yellow is really amazing! The white cardigan with red trim is paired with a white pin striped skirt. For accessories Tory adds the long multiple yellow beaded necklaces and a great fringe tote bag! For shoes the model is wearing white loafers. I really like this look because of the contrast of the yellow necklaces against the all white top and the red trim of the white cardigan. It’s very chic and casual at the same time. The men like loafers add an interesting twist to the womanly attire of a skirt and cardigan.

Overall the outfit is a must buy! Tory’s collection is all about her personal style. This collection is a homerun to me for many reasons. The first being how clean and fresh the colors were and how the mixing of patterns added a cute twist. What I also love about Tory’s collection is you can pull each piece out and still make it work with a variety of outfits and not just the whole Tory look. Fashion gurus such as Tim Blanks had to say, “Tory Burch has practically become an international ambassador for American fashion,” now after seeing her spring 2012 collection.

Also Reva Robinson said, “I can see Tory’s story through her collection and every collection is different and beautiful. ” She also said the prints were very evolved and womanly and very tightly edited. Linda Fargo said that Tory’s collection is representative of who she is and it comes out in her clothes. SPRING 2013 COLLECTION Tory Burch’s up and coming Spring 2013 RTW collection consist of long, modest skirts, a poppy color palette, and girlish loafer flats. She uses rich colors such as red, blues, and yellows throughout her designs.

Tory is a souvenir collector which is shown through the ethnic embellishments and accessories scattered throughout this collection. Tory described this collection as “classic sprit, but a bit of traveler. ” The collection is very rich, and there’s a lot of layering throughout. The collection is all inspired from different places she’s visited and what her and all women would pick up along the way. The design from the 2013 collection shown to the left is a sophisticated, but yet fun look. The light beige pin striped trouser pants and blazer layered with a diverse embroidered top underneath really makes the outfit pop!

The tailored blazer gives the model a nice waistline. The rich colors in the top are a great contrast to the plain colored pants and blazer. She adds red loafers, making the outfit more casual. Last the great red embellished handbag tops off this look! This outfit is very womanly, and casual. Tory kept this design very simple and clean with a pop of color, which is just right for spring! The second design look of Tory’s 2013 collection is a very hippie chic look. The tie-dye dress in which the model is wearing was made by a collective of artisan women in Guinea.

Also, the rings on each girl’s fingers were made in Ghana. Tory pairs the tie-dye dress with some black strappy wedges which are always a great spring essential. The last accessory is the red, colorful cross body bag the model is wearing. This completes the ethnic and poppy color palette in which this collection is about. I love this look because it’s quite different from Tory’s normal designs. I personally enjoyed this collection because it’s different from Tory’s normal designs but yet there is still a hint of “Tory Burch” shown throughout.

I loved the rich colors she uses, which are always great for spring. Also, everything was beautifully embellished, embroidered and quilted. Tim Blanks comments on Tory’s 2013 Spring RTW collection was “It made me want to go to beautiful places and buy beautiful things”. Linda Wells says, “She was taking us to a perfect sunny place where she probably lives. It was a mixture of someone who travels a lot and still has an American heart and souls. ” I overall really admire this collection, and I can’t wait for it to come out this coming spring!