Designer A-Z

Tory Burch

Autumn/Winter 2012

By Jim Shi

According to Tory Burch’s show notes, the starting point for her autumn winter collection is 'the idea of a girl who’s under the spell of the wrong kind of guy. She’s an innocent, unaware of her own sex appeal.'

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The clothes, fittingly enough, like the bejewelled loose chignons the models wore, were what one would expect: sweet and pretty, crafted from light and delicate fabrics like tulle, lace and organza. In what was easily her most beautiful collection to date, Burch didn’t shy away from embellishments; they were applied beautifully on cardigans, jackets (made from tulle rose appliqués) and evening dresses that might garner Burch a red carpet credit or three.

Set against a backdrop at Lincoln Centre that was made over to resemble perhaps the Pierre or Waldorf Astoria, thanks to a floral wallpaper backdrop and custom catwalk rug in pale green and white with a geometric pattern, the ambience set the mood for the tale the clothes told. 'The setting? The hotel where they meet,' referenced the notes.

But back to the fabulous clothes. One-part seductive, two-parts classic, a pearl-trimmed cardigan buttoned up the neck was perfection with or without the snakeskin bag trimmed with tortoise shell the model carried. Basics in Burch’s world, including knit cardigans with just a hint of sheen, leather looks hand-painted with an abstract plaid pattern and a series of sequined blue Prince of Wales check pieces (breathtaking given this is a contemporary line at the end of the day) really stole the show. Upping the ante, Burch also sent out a handful of evening looks that banked on intriguing fabric treatments, with a sublime green dress of tulle trimmed with a single velvet band at the waist - a true knockout.