The quiet revolutionary

Designer, businesswoman and philanthropist Tory Burch discusses the mentor who taught her to embrace ambition and how she’s paying it forward

Words ALISON TAY

Tory Burch admires any woman who marches to the beat of her own drum. It takes one to know one. With a £2.5billion fashion brand under her homespun raffia belt and a place on the Forbes’ list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women, Tory credits her success to offering something that was missing in the market. Spotting an opportunity to create affordable, design-led wardrobe staples, Tory opened a boutique on New York’s Elizabeth Street in 2004 that was unlike anything else in the city. ‘At the time, stores were very minimalist and stark, and we went the opposite way,’ Tory says of her first store’s homely feel, which has now become an intrinsic part of her brand aesthetic worldwide.

Her instinct to go against the grain paid off and, to date, the executive chairman and chief creative officer of her eponymous label has more than 250 boutiques across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Asia and Australia to her name. All the while, she has kept the idea of home at the heart of her brand – unsurprising since Tory was on a career break to raise her children when the business was born.

With Harper’s Bazaar, Vera Wang, Polo Ralph Lauren and Loewe on her fashion CV, she was uniquely placed to start her brand in 2004, which she did with an ecommerce platform first – astonishingly ahead of its time. ‘During my years working in the fashion industry, I noticed a void in the market for beautiful clothing with a designer aesthetic at a more accessible price point – classic pieces with a modern point of view,’ she explains. ‘So when I left Loewe to be at home with my family – I had three boys under the age of four – I began conceptualizing the company and designing my first collection.’

However, it was Oprah Winfrey who gave Tory her big break after hailing her as the Next Best Thing – a TV appearance that would lead to eight million hits on ToryBurch.com. ‘Being on her show changed our business overnight,’ she acknowledges. ‘It aired in 2005 – less than a year after we launched – and women across America suddenly seemed to know who we were. It was certainly a turning point for our company.’ Today the likes of Michelle Obama, the Duchess of Cambridge and Jessica Alba are among those drawn to the preppy bohemian traveller aesthetic Burch has made her own. The appeal? According to Tory, it’s pieces with ‘a global point of view with a classic undertone and the intellectual curiosity that goes with it.’

Tory Burch calling cards include Arabian tile prints and tunic kaftans for weekends in The Hamptons, as well as the ubiquitous Reva ballet flat for pounding Park Avenue. Named after her mother, this shoe proved an instant hit, with 30,000 pairs sold within a year of launch. Today, the Reva ballet flat is still arguably the most recognizable staple in the Tory Burch collection – a fact down in part to its being embellished with the brand’s distinctive double T logo. ‘I am incredibly honored that our brand resonates with women globally,’ says Tory. ‘We create effortless pieces that women can wear in their own way and feel great. I think there is an authenticity to that connection, as the collections draw on what my team and I are missing from our own closets.’

Although Oprah was the career game-changer for Tory, it was Jane Rosenthal, co-founder, CEO and executive chair of the Tribeca Film Festival who helped her understand the importance of using her voice as a woman in business. ‘When I first started the company, Th e New York Times wrote an article about me and I got a call from Jane, someone I truly respect in business, who said, “I like your article but you shied away from the word ambition,” and I realized that she was right. I was buying into this harmful stereotype eotype and it irritated me that the journalist said, “You’re ambitious.” Over the years, I’ve realized how important it is for women to have a voice and to embrace their ambition whether it’s staying at home or someone starting a company. Women’s rights should be a given – women have a point of view and should also be part of this conversation.’

It was this realization that informed the way she would build her business from the very beginning – mindful of creating opportunities for women to flourish. This was reflected in the launch of her #EmbraceAmbitio n initiative to empower women to own their power, drive and dreams in 2017. ‘I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by strong women – 70% of our employees are female, with many in leadership roles. Women in business face tremendous obstacles and there is no equivalent to the old boy’s network… Not yet, at least. That said, it is exciting to see the way women – and men – are coming together. If we lift each other up, celebrate one another’s successes and share information, we can create the kind of networks that make an important difference on the path to parity.’

In addition to equality, philanthropy is another key pillar on which Tory built her brand – again with startling foresight. ‘I have always believed in giving back,’ she declares. ‘It is how I was raised. I started our company because I wanted to start a foundation for women.’ True to her word, she launched the Tory Burch Foundation, dedicated to female empowerment and entrepreneurship in the United States in 2009 to provide female entrepreneurs with access to capital, education and digital resources. ‘It was part of our business plan from the very beginning. I am happy to see that more companies are beginning to recognize the importance of social responsibility. Businesses today are not innovative without a larger purpose.’

While her New York Fashion Week catwalk cohorts continue to be trendled, Tory has never strayed too far from her first love for inspiration – her parents Buddy and Reva Robinson, and her memories of growing up on a farm in Pennsylvania. These elements are lovingly weaved through her collections. ‘Family is everything to me,’ she confirms. ‘My boys are my number one priority no matter what. I've found that having clear boundaries is key. I couldn't be a good leader if I weren't a good mom first.’ Thankfully for Tory, the two go hand in hand. ‘My family are also my greatest motivators – especially my parents, whose travels and love story inspired our SS19 collection. They raised my three brothers and me to believe that with hard work we could accomplish anything, regardless of gender.’ Clearly, Buddy and Reva were right.