'They hide a lot of sins,’ Tory Burch quips backstage after her spring/summer ‘25 show. She’s talking about the nostalgic-cum-futuristic shield sunglasses that she’s wearing with a beige co-ord and a pierced heel, first introduced on last season’s runway.
It’s a new look for the American designer in many ways as she continues to hone in on her craft after stepping down as CEO of the brand to focus solely on the creative part of the business. And for spring/summer ‘25 the stalwart of American fashion fused her signature sportswear aesthetic with her knack for intricate construction, bringing a defiant dose of glamour to the gritty (albeit gentrified) Brooklyn.
And as the sun set over Manhattan’s skyline, models - including the honorary New Yorker Alexa Chung - snaked through a green-tiled glass-domed penthouse, presenting Tory’s sporty vision for the new season to guests including Michelle Williams, Jodie Turner-Smith and Elizabeth Olsen. ‘I’ve wanted [Alexa] for ages,’ she says about Chung. ‘I just find her to be brilliantly cool and beautiful inside and out.’
Just as cool as Chung was the return of Burch’s most referenced accessory: the Reva ballet flat 2.0, updated and fine-tuned, in line with Burch’s new, confident design approach. This time around, the Noughties staple came as a mule (named the Reva mule) and the famous logo was cut-out, ‘so you can actually see the toes,’ she says. ‘I wanted to capture the essence of what it was, but to interpret it for where we are today,’ she continued.
Elsewhere, there were sequinned nylon swimsuits, luxe track pants, and quilt trousers that allowed for plenty of movement, ‘like leggings,’ Burch suggests. It transpires that sportswear is something that she keeps returning to. ‘I grew up with three brothers and have been obsessed with sports my whole life. I used to have a sports collection separate from this one, and we folded it in about four years ago. And I realised, when I think about design, I think about movement and shape and form and so many of those things I think about when I'm watching or actually doing sports. So, for me, they go hand in hand.’
Movement and lightness defined her take on the new season in a way that only she could conceive of, combining the ease of American-ness with the self-assured vision that she has set out for the brand. A vision, which, judging by the cheering crowd of the audience, is a definite hit, and definitely leaves the audience wanting more: More ballet flats! More glamour! More Tory!
Henrik Lischke is the Senior Fashion Features Editor at Grazia. Prior to that, he held the role of commerce writer at British Vogue, and was junior fashion editor at The Sunday Times Style. A first-class honours Fashion Journalism graduate from UAL: London College of fashion, Henrik is invariably on the lookout for the newest talent in fashion, that is driving the industry forward, and shining the spotlight on them whenever possible. He’s also got a passion for interiors design and the arts.