Not wanting to be constrained by high fashion, Tory Burch takes cues from Claire McCardell in unveiling a ready-to-wear spring and summer collection meant for the unencumbered woman.
Claire McCardell has always been remembered as the architect of the “American woman” look. She took inspiration from the life of the emerging class of career women after World War I, and disrupted the French-dominated fashion landscape of hand-sewn couture and constrictive tailoring in the 1930s, insisting that clothes should be casually elegant, functional, and easily cared for.
Never a slave to the sequins, she began producing shirtwaist dresses, wool jersey sheaths, and other practical leisure pieces, which she liked to refer to as “playclothes” for both day and evening wear.
Claire McCardell gave women the ability to be free and unencumbered.
By the same token, this is how designer Tory Burch envisions her Spring/Summer ‘23 collection at New York’s Pier 76, “defined by opposing instincts: to experiment freely and to pare everything back.” Such an ethos was evidenced by layering breathable jersey fabrics—ruched miniskirts over flowy sheer maxi skirts and capri leggings.
“Clean lines and an ethereal palette are the understated backdrop for a new focus on material and silhouette. The innovation of luxurious fabrics designed to move with the body—superfine knits, techno satin, weightless jerseys. An exploration of form in wrapped silhouettes, sporty separates and the opposition of sculptural tailoring over translucent layers. All lightened by a touch of strangeness, the shock of handbags in acid colors, and surrealist shoes with trompe l’oeil toe rings and ‘inverted’ heels,” Tory describes.
While the late Claire McCardell and Tory Burch design for different generations of women, the two seem to have much in common. The latter’s particular vision of everyday and easily taken on and off fashion dates back to the mid 20th century when Tory likewise rejected high fashion’s penchant for heavy wools, delicate silks, and bold embellishments.
Tory Burch explains that “this collection is personal and intuitive, drawing on my memories of the ’90s when I moved to New York. I wanted to look at my signatures with a fresh perspective, reflecting what feels modern now.”
With the Hudson River sunset as a backdrop, Tory Burch unveils the ready-to-wear Spring/Summer ‘23 collection during the New York Fashion Week. The show was graced by the “Euphoria” star Sydney Sweeney, and celebrities by the likes of “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” actress Lana Condor and Chloe Fineman.
Along with the ready-to-wear collection, Tory Burch also launches the Ella Bio, a modern iteration of one of Tory Burch’s most loved handbag styles.
The house partnered with Modern Meadow, an American biotechnology company on the cutting edge of sustainable material innovation, to develop the plant-based BioFabbrica Bio-Tex™ leather alternative that served as the handbag’s shell. Apart from that it is as luxurious and as durable as genuine leather, Bio-Tex™ also holds color extremely well, so the Ella Bio comes in a rainbow of brights, pastels, and neutrals.
In the Philippines, Tory Burch is located at Greenbelt 5, Rockwell, and Rustan’s Makati in Makati City, and Rustan’s Shangri-La in Mandaluyong City. The full catalogue can be accessed through Tory Burch’s website. To shop online, visit their Trunc page.
