Tory Burch is one busy executive. Arguably America's hottest designer, she recently opened a boutique in Dubai, with a new store in Beirut and 17 other new cities across the U.S., Europe and Asia coming next year, and just signed a deal with Estee Lauder for a signature fragrance launch in 2013.

Burch racked up even more frequent flyer miles in a whirlwind 24-hour visit to Houston, where she showcased looks from her holiday, resort and spring 2012 collections at Neiman Marcus while bantering with the luxury retailer's senior vice president fashion director Ken Downing before an enthusiastic audience.

Afterwards, she met with customers who stood in a long line to give her a hug, pose for photos and have her autograph their favorite Tory Burch handbag or shoes.

"I love the touch of the customer, meeting them and seeing how they wear our clothes and hearing feedback," Burch said. "Negative or positive, I love to hear it."

Right before Burch started the runway show, her pal, Lynn Wyatt, showed up at Neiman's in a midnight blue Tory Burch dress with gold buttons and epaulets, and boots. "It makes me feel like a little baby girl," purred Wyatt, who accessorized the outfit with an Hermès belt and handbag.

"She makes it look so perfect, chic and elegant," Burch said. "I couldn't ask for someone better (as a model)."

During her overnight stay in Houston, Burch was a houseguest at Wyatt's River Oaks home and the guest of honor at a seated dinner for 18. Burch laughingly recalled an invaluable piece of advice she once received from Wyatt: "You never learn anything with your mouth open."

At the fashion show, which featured a running commentary between Burch and Downing, the designer told the audience she will be on the road again over the holidays when she and her three sons visit Myanmar (also known as Burma). "There's no cell phones. It's pretty basic where we're going and I couldn't be happier. I think it's going to be a nice break for all of us," she said.

The duo also revealed a few tips for dressing for any occasion and pinpointed some upcoming fashion trends:

1. Leopard never goes out of style

While trends come and go, Burch and Downing agreed that leopard never goes out of style. For her fall collection, Burch accessorized a ladylike suit with a leopard handbag and featured other leopard accessories. "Always a little leopard," she told the audience.

"That's what my mother said as well," Downing agreed. "You love your mother and use her for inspiration just as much as I use my mother for inspiration. My mother always says 'There's never enough not leopard in the world.' "

"My mother said leopard is the new black," Burch said.

"Your mother and my mother should hang out," Downing quipped.

Later during the show, Downing unveiled another bot mot from his mother: "She always said, 'Pretty always wins over peculiar.' It's so true. Everyone wants to be pretty. Nobody wants to look peculiar."

2. Dress like a lady (with a twist)

One of the big trends for fall/winter features a dressed-up, ladylike look with an edge. "There's a little English countryside/almost a little evoking of Kate Middleton in the air, don't you think?" Downing asked.

Burch features graphic prints, mixed woven patterns with knits and added flair to suits and jackets. She lightened up a tweed jacket with chiffon gaudets, added velvet trim to a sheath and crystals or bugle beads to a jacket so it can be worn from day into evening with a little sparkle.

"A little edge to femininity is great," Burch said.

One reason for Burch's big success is that she recogizes women are busy and don't have time to change clothes from day to night. So many of her looks can easily transition to an nightime event with a different handbag or shoe.

For the woman who wants to change into a full-on evening look with edge, Burch offers a tuxedo with a skinny cigarette pant, built-in vest and frilly blouse.

"I love the tension of feminine ruffles back to something masculine," Downing said. "There's the tension in fashion of masculine and feminine that always works."

3. Add a "pop" of color

Burch featured boots and bags in Burgundy shades, which really stand out (in a good way) with the black and beige colors that so dominate fall fashion. "It's one way to dress up all the neutral colors on the runway," Downing said.

Burch's resort collection highlights jeans in bright shades of red, orange or turquoise. "I call them fancy pants," Downing said. "If you don't have a pair, you'd better not leave the house."

One new trend: Pair the brightly-colored jeans with a purse of the same color. Burch featured blood-red jeans and a laquered red handbag. "It's the new twin set," Downing said.

4. Mix black and navy

For the first two years of her business, Burch didn't feature a single item in black; instead she highlighted navy. For the holiday season, she mixes the two, with black velvet polka dots on dark navy fabric.

"There's nothing more chic, is there?" Downing remarked.

"I love black and navy together. I think a lot of women do love it but it's rare to find, so that's the thing we wanted to do," Burch said.

"The idea of black and navy is not wildly American. It's actually a very European idea, something Coco Chanel always loved," Downing said. "If you mix black and navy it really puts immediate chic into your wardrobe."

5. Tunics always flatter

Just as Diane von Furstenberg features variations of her iconic wrap dress in every collection, Burch has made the tunic one of her signature pieces. It was among the first items that propelled her to fame, after Oprah Winfrey featured it on her TV show. She continues to redefine it.

In her holiday collection, she features a tunic with bugle bead detailing; for resort, Burch showcases a linen tunic with kangaroo pocket worn over boy shorts with lace trim.

"It's superflattering," Burch said. "I always watched my grandmother wear them. Then I found a kaftan or a little tunic in a French flea market for $5 and that was the beginning of our collection. That's what made me start to think about kaftans and tunics for the business because I think they're great for many different kinds of women."

6. Eyewear for evening

A new look for eveningwear: Add a pair of fun glasses.

"This season — even for spring — on all the runways around the country and all over Europe, the idea of a clever little piece of eyewear for evening, everyone's doing it," Downing told the audience. "Everybody needs a pretty little pair of sunglasses when they go out at night."

Burch said that she took the concept further by adding rhinestones to her eyewear. "It's so great because it's an evening accessory and now women are putting their reading lenses in (the frames)," Burch said.

"Rhinestones are up there with leopard as far as I'm concerned," Downing quipped.