Might Tory Burch be capable of saving the economy single-handedly? Editors were acting like kids in a candy store at her Spring presentation: They didn't just like what they saw, they wanted to buy it.
Reasonable price points partly explain Burch's outstanding success, yes. But, reaching beyond that, her appeal is also founded on her ability to "make ordinary things seem extraordinary." Burch actually used those words herself, to describe what she appreciates most about the photographer William Eggleston, one of her creative touchstones this season. Like Eggleston's seemingly mundane subjects, Burch's designs are always familiar; her DNA, after all, is the American staple. What she does is reimagine it, sprinkle it with some fashion dust and a pinch of fun.
Tory Burch clothes are desired by the girl next door and the hipper-than-thou blogger. The current collection had a Native American inflection, featuring moccasins, tie-dye, and snake print. But there were also leather and studs, gingham and eyelet, and denim and khaki…not to mention sequins, of course. ("Everyone wants to preorder the sequined minidress," she tweeted, about an hour into the event.) There was a diverse, democratic, something-for-everyone quality to the collection, but in this case it was a strength. "It's about depicting the American lifestyle—in a different way," she said.
