Tory Burch lit up the night — and the historic New Yorker Hotel sign — at her fall show, a thumping celebration of sensual eveningwear and quirky, individual pieces to make one’s own.
Burch staged her first nighttime show on the 25th floor of Hudson Commons, with the glittering city at her feet.
Framed by the floor-to-ceiling windows, her name shared space with The New Yorker Hotel neon marquee. It was a love letter to New York on Valentine’s night.
Burch helped fund the restoration of the sign on the Art Deco landmark that opened in 1930, and was for a time the city’s largest hotel.
“It’s such an iconic building,” said the designer, who upped her profile around the city in other ways, too, teasing the runway show with light installations at the Frick Museum, Union Square and seven other landmarks, and livestreaming it in four locations.
Talk about taking it to the streets.
“I feel people cannot wait to go out again and experience joy,” the designer said, sharing that she looked at Bill Cunningham’s street-style photos from the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s for inspiration, and was surprised how much they echoed on the sidewalks today. “The more I see how women are dressed around New York, the more they feel free.”
More than fashion, that means self-expression. Burch set out not to dictate, but to offer building blocks of personal style.
That translated to graphic colors, sharp cuts, utility and convertibility. There were tons of pieces with personality, like an orange-to-fuchsia double-faced coat, neon track jackets, the perfect tweedy pleated pants (how hard is it to find them nowadays?), shantung full skirts with asymmetric jersey dropped waists, and a red-and-purple diamond sweater that felt like a vintage score. It was an invitation for women to put it all together and have fun.
Silk taffeta wrap tops, shantung bustiers and pleated skirts cinched with wide belts had a new edge, as did squared-off suede boots, loafers with circular embellishments on the toes, and boots perched atop geometric heels.
It ended in a parade of sensual, swirl-patterned geometric jersey dresses that had real sophistication, and looked ready to disco. This was a significant step for Tory Burch into the realm of energetic, confident, liberated dressing. Bravo.