NEW YORK — It's obvious that Tory Burch is up to something different.
Plush Moroccan rugs covered every inch of the floor — and the walls — of the former Park Avenue church where Oscar de la Renta showed his collection for a number of years and where Burch unveiled her fall collection for the first time during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The atmosphere seemed more like a late night Marrakech bazaar rather than an early morning fashion show.
"The girls looked pretty. Those are clothes you can see walking off the runway and ending up in a woman's wardrobe."
Burch's collection fuses Moroccan mystery— mirrored embroidery, rug-patterned wraparound skirts and coats with carpet fringed cuffs in shades of russet and dark blue— with '70s boho style — vintage drop-waist silhouettes, flared trousers and tunics exhibiting the kicky attitude of London in its swingin' heyday.
In her program notes, Burch calls it a "Marrakech-meets-Chelsea" moment, and it was highlighted with the Clash's rendition of "Rock the Cashbah" as fresh-faced models crisscrossed along the carpeted runways.
Accessories, too, feature metal detail, beads and sequins, with a nod to exotic locations in north Africa. Footwear ranges from knee-high boots to jeweled sandals.
It was a departure from Burch's previous collections, yet there is much to love, according to Neiman Marcus senior vp and fashion director Ken Downing.
"The things that are capturing my attention in New York are anything that has a Victorian reference. And that whole idea of how Victorian fashion inspired the 1970s and anything with a folkloric sensibility," Downing said. "Tory has that hint of romanticism and Victorian, with little lace detail on the blouses, that '70s pants that looks so great underneath the elongated tunic coats that are sleeveless, and all of the amazing carpet-inspired folkloric patterns. It's great when we see embellishment and interesting textural fabrics."
"The girls looked pretty. Those are clothes you can see walking off the runway and ending up in a woman's wardrobe."
Tory Burch Moroccan-pattern jacquard coat, crepe de chine blouse and Marrakech-print silk wool mikado pant.
