It takes real chutzpah and perseverance to enter the fashion business today. The women’s market is so saturated, it’s difficult for any designer to stand out from the crowd; brand-building can take years.
Enter Tory Burch, who makes it look easy. Her eponymous brand was an overnight sensation when she launched it in 2004. Even so, she considers herself lucky to have found a niche that wasn’t being addressed at the time.
"I didn’t know for sure, but I felt as if I was onto something at the time, starting this company that would be luxurious in spirit but accessible in price," she said. "Accessible luxury was something new at the time. I grew up in fashion, but I don’t want to shop designer price points all the time. I thought, why can’t we come up with something beautifully designed, with quality materials, at an accessible price?"
Women responded to the point that merchandise sold out during the opening of her flagship Nolita boutique in February 2004. "It surprised me, so I was on the phone to the factory trying to regroup. It took several weeks to restock," she said.
Burch was in town to greet arts patrons during a private shopping event Wednesday at her new boutique at the Royal Hawaiian Center to benefit the Honolulu Academy of Arts. From there she headed to Maui for another event before returning home to her three sons and to continue preparations for New York Fashion Week, where she’ll show her fall/winter 2012-13 collections on Feb. 14.
Although the period before Fashion Week is a stressful time, Burch is the picture of cool and the walking embodiment of her brand. Her designs are marked by the sophistication of clean, classic cardigans, V-neck sweaters, capris and A-line shifts; a sense of fun and adventure in the play of colors and prints; and comfort required by working moms and travelers.
From the beginning she employed an invigorating mix of bold graphics, prints and colors, inspired by the work of interior designer David Hicks.
"Prints are very personal. Not all of them resonate with every woman, but I think they responded to the interesting way they were presented together. It gave women an opportunity to try a print and see how it can work for them."
The Ala Moana Tory Burch store opened in October 2010, and the Royal Hawaiian Center store, which opened in November, is the newest addition to the designer’s family of 46 U.S. and 18 international stores.
Burch said sales patterns "are quite different in each country and each region of a country, but the best sellers are the same across the board." In Hawaii, she says, sales are strong for her footwear, swimwear, caftans, cover-ups and ready-to-wear designs. She’ll be introducing costume jewelry and eyewear soon, as well as reissues of some of her inaugural pieces.
Not only consumers have responded to her line. Burch has been honored by the industry, winning the 2008 Council of Fashion Designers of America’s accessory designer of the year title; the 2007 accessory brand launch of the year honor from the Accessories Council of Excellence; and the 2005 Rising Star award from Fashion Group International.
In spite of her rapid success, Burch said she’s made plenty of mistakes but chalks it up to a learning experience, adding to a résumé that includes branding at Ralph Lauren, styling at magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, and working for the Loewe luxury brand of ready-to-wear clothing, leather goods and accessories when Narciso Rodriguez was the designer.
"Every job I’ve had has helped me become a better business person and CEO, but what I’m most proud of is the team I’ve put together, because this company is about all of us building it together," Burch said.
When asked whether working as a stylist gave her the courage to mix and match patterns and color, she said, "I’ve always been a little like that, taking chances and a little bit of risk, and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t, but hopefully by now it works more often than not."
