Inven-TORY

Designer Tory Burch gives us an insight into the past, present and future of her eponymous brand

- JOAN KONG

From staging a show at Pier 76 against Hudson River to unveiling a dreamy popup on Orchard Road, Tory Burch has had an eventful season when it comes to its Spring/Summer 2023 collection. We were recently flown down to Singapore to celebrate the latter — a one-of-a-kind space that celebrates its iconic T Monogram collection. Located adjacent to its Wisma Atria boutique, the store features an ethereal exterior that’s accented with blue sky and cloud structures and an interior that houses an array of ready-to-wear pieces, handbags and footwear from its latest line-up.

In conjunction with the launch, we got the chance to speak to the woman of the hour, executive chairman and chief creative officer Tory Burch, who was in attendance for the special event.

Based on the last few collections, it’s apparent that the Tory Burch aesthetic is going down a cleaner and more subdued route. What prompted the change?

In the last four years, a lot has changed at our company. I used to be CEO and do the creative [at the same time], so before that, I’d spend maybe 30 per cent of my time on the creative process. But since Pierre-Yves [Roussel] came on board [in 2019], he has allowed me to have time to focus fully on the creatives.

It’s a different shift and almost a reinvention to me personally. In a way, I was always inspired by my family and people around me, but when the pandemic happened, I had to go within and strip back everything that I knew and thought about what a more personal version of me would be and why I started the company, to begin with.