It's a good thing that Tory Burch premiered her fall collection on Valentine's Day, because it's all about love. From the cups emblazoned with a big red heart and the words "Love Conquers All" on the hot chocolate cups in the lobby of the Whitney Museum of American Art, where the runway show took place, to the book of love poems on each seat, Burch was in a romantic mood.
It shows in the collection, with a nod to the classic movie, The Philadelphia Story, starring Katharine Hepburn, James Stewart, and Cary Grant. Burch, a Philadelphia native, says she found inspiration in "the fearlessness and irreverence" of Hepburn's character and set out to combine the actress's "outdoor glamour" with a "confident femininity," according to her program notes.
In the 1940 comedy about a socialite whose wedding plans are complicated by the simultaneous arrival of her ex-husband and a tabloid magazine journalist, Hepburn was dressed by MGM costume designer Adrian in a revolutionary way.
She wore pants, which was shocking for the times, a gown-like robe, and evening gowns that offered "a perfect combination of soft and strong — almost an armour for the character to wear while she does battle with the men in her life as well as her own emotions," according to the website GlamAmor. And Adrian added a touch of gilt with gold buttons, straps, flaps, and other techniques.
Burch opens the collection with a series of outfits in winter white, including fluffy jackets decorated with gold buttons and a robe-like coat with a new gold monogram TB logo that shows up throughout the collection on pants, tie blouses and shirt pockets. It's different from the popular double T logo currently on flats and sweater buttons and is destined, no doubt, to be popular among Burch's many fans.
An outdoorsy quality is reflected in Fair Isle sweaters paired with Main Line-plaid wide-legged trousers or corduroy skirts, while dresses, blouses and skirts in a silk ballerina print or chintz florals are feminine daytime options. For evening, a navy jumpsuit with rhinestones circling the waist and embellished gowns add a touch of Hollywood glamour.
And it wouldn't be a Burch collection without some terrific accessories, including men's briefcases and a pendant necklace inspired by her father's cigarette lighter.
Tory Burch floral print velvet coat, chiffon dress, and viscose turtleneck.
