‘We All Need To Dream’: Tory Burch On Creating Her SS21 Collection In Lockdown

Nobody, it seems, was immune to the banana bread baking moment at the beginning of lockdown. Not even Tory Burch, although she admits to doing it ‘just once’ (well that's one more time that some of us, ahem). A renewed interest in needlepoint, however, has been met with more dedication; she has just finished work on her first ‘Covid pillow’.

Creating her SS21 collection during lockdown – which was presented to editors via intimate Zoom appointments, fashion week looks a lot different this season – craft was at the forefront of Burch’s mind. The enforced pause had her thinking about her childhood, growing up on a farm and attending a Quaker school in Pennsylvania.

In particular Burch was drawn to the Shaker maxim that beauty rests in utility. This translated into clothes that put as much of an emphasis on function as they do on form. Versatility is essential: generous tunic dresses come with giant pockets, puritan collars are detachable (and big, the overblown collar is going nowhere), market bags are reversible, and loafers are deconstructed so that they are as comfortable as slipper. Humble fabrics are elevated with thoughtful design details, like a cotton poplin trench with a stretch bodice. A pair of blue-light glasses – designed to protect the eyes from the constant screen-glare – locate the collection firmly in the now.

What also feels modern is Burch’s assertion that the collection is intended to be timeless rather than trend-driven. ‘Women want to wear things over and over again, it’s very old fashioned to think about something you wear one season and then it’s over,’ she says. ‘Particularly now we want to be very purposeful and think about things more as investment pieces you’ll have forever’.

There is an eclectic spirit that runs throughout the collection. Preppy and sporty elements are remixed with bohemian flair, like the tunic and trousers made of scarves and inspired by the Moroccan kaftans her father would wear around their family farm. This is high/low dressing: languid lame separates are worn with flat sandals, a new take on a pinstripe suit nods to the look of sweatpants via elasticated hems.

It feels particularly resonant now at a time when many of us are tired of barely-getting-dressed but don’t have any razzle-dazzle opportunities on the horizon (side note: if you are still feeling trackpants, Tory Sport is Anna Wintour's go-to and now available in the UK). Burch knows we want to feel special, but that elegance, style, even glamour, can still be found in comfort. ‘I think a lot of people want effortless dressing right now. Unfussy, uncomplicated, but [that] still feel luxury to wear,’ she says. ‘People are throwing things together in unexpected ways and making it work. I see that women are wanting to dress up, regardless of whether they have anywhere to go or not.’

But whatever we choose to wear, Burch is adamant that we should all seek out the sheer delight of fashion (who isn't wistfully awaiting the arrival of summer 2021, if only for an opportunity to waft around in those tunics or an exquisite embroidered white dress?). ‘It’s about finding solace in all the things that bring you joy,’ she says. ‘We all need to dream’.