Tory Burch

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Tory Burch
Burch in 2009
Born
Tory Robinson

(1966-06-17) June 17, 1966 (age 59)
Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, U.S.
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BA)
Occupation(s)Fashion designer
Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Tory Burch LLC[1]
Spouse(s)
William Macklowe
​
​
(m. 1993, divorced)​

​
​
(m. 1996; div. 2006)​
​
(m. 2018)​

Tory Burch (née Robinson; born June 17, 1966) is an American fashion designer and businesswoman. She is the executive chairman and chief creative officer of her own brand, Tory Burch LLC. She was listed as the 88th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2020.[2]

Early life and education

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Burch was born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Reva (née Schapira) and Ira Earl "Bud" Robinson (1923–2007).[3] She was raised with her three brothers in a 250-year-old Georgian farmhouse near Valley Forge National Historical Park.[4]

Her father was a wealthy investor who inherited a stock exchange seat and a paper cup company.[4] Burch is Jewish on her mother's side.[5][6]

Burch attended the Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, where she was a friend of jewelry designer Kara Ross.[7] Her first job was at Benetton in the King of Prussia mall.[7] She then attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in art history and graduated in 1988.[4] Burch is a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.

Career

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Early work

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After graduating from college, Tory moved to New York City, where she worked for Zoran, a Yugoslavian designer,[4] followed by Harper's Bazaar magazine. She then moved into public relations and advertising positions at Vera Wang,[4][8] Polo Ralph Lauren, and Loewe, when Narciso Rodriguez was there.[9]

Fashion label

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Main article: Tory Burch (company)
An ensemble Burch designed in 2018 on display in the In America: A Lexicon of Fashion exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Burch began her fashion label – "TRB by Tory Burch", later known as Tory Burch – in February 2004, launching it with a retail store in Manhattan's Nolita district.[10][11] In 2023, it had grown to include more than 370 stores worldwide;[12] the fashion line is also carried at over 3,000 department and specialty stores worldwide.[13][14][15]

In 2015, Burch also introduced a separate performance activewear line, Tory Sport.[16][17][18]

Awards and recognition

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In 2005, Burch won the Rising Star Award for Best New Retail Concept from the Fashion Group International.[19]

In 2007, she won the Accessory Brand Launch of the year award at the Accessories Council Excellence Awards.[20]

In 2008, Burch won the Council of Fashion Designers of America award for Accessories Designer of the Year.[21]

From 2010 to 2020, Burch was included on Forbes' list of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women six times.[22]

In 2015, Burch was included on Working Mother's list of the 50 Most Powerful Moms,[23] and she received the Breast Cancer Research Foundation's Sandra Taub Humanitarian Award.[24][25]

In November 2019, Burch was named a Glamour Woman of the Year.[26]

In November 2020, she was featured in a cover story in Forbes magazine on how her fashion company navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.[27]

In 2021, she was named an inaugural member of the advisory council for the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum in Washington, DC.[28]

In 2022, the Wharton School's Jay H. Baker Retailing Center and Retail Leaders Circle honored her with its inaugural Retail Excellence Award in recognition of her industry leadership and support of women entrepreneurs,[29] she received the Parsons Table Award that, "recognizes individuals who have made a noteworthy impact on the design industry and have inspired our students,"[30] from the Parsons School of Design,[31] and she received the CARE Impact Award for Women's Inspirational Leadership from CARE International.[32]

In 2023, the CFDA Fashion Awards nominated Burch for Womenswear Designer of the Year,[33][34] and Harper's Bazaar named her Designer of the Year.[35][36]

Burch at the 2009 Vanity Fair celebration for the Tribeca Film Festival

In 2024, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine.[37] and her company was included on Time's list of the 100 Most Influential Companies.[38] Also in 2024, she was honored as WWD Women's Designer of the Year.[39]

In 2025, she received the SCAD Étoile Award from Savannah College of Art and Design.[40]

Controversy

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In 2017, a Facebook Community called La Blouse Roumaine, which promoted Romanian traditional craftsmanship, pointed that an early 20th century Romanian coat displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York was virtually identical to a coat in Burch's Resort 2018 collection which was initially marketed as a garment inspired by Africa.[41] The Facebook group also pointed out that other pieces from the same collection had many similarities with Romanian garments, including the sweaters worn by the Romania national rugby union team at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.[42] Burch acknowledged the similarity and responded: "In our effort to summarize the collection, we missed a reference to a beautiful Romanian coat which inspired one of the pieces. Whether it’s Romania, Uganda or France, we are a brand that strives to celebrate, honor and be inclusive of women from all countries and cultures, in the broadest way possible".[41]

In March 2021, controversy rose over a jumper designed by Burch which closely resembled a traditional fishermen garment made in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal. The stylist had initially marketed it as a 'Baja-inspired tunic', in reference to Baja California, a state in Mexico. Pictures of the piece led to criticism from Portuguese internet users and the mayor of Póvoa de Varzim. Burch issued an apology in her social media and changed the description of the piece to "Póvoa de Varzim-inspired sweater".[43] Shortly afterwards, the Portuguese government announced its intention to take legal action and demand compensation for the heritage of Póvoa de Varzim, after which Burch removed the sweater from her website.[44] In November 2021, the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim announced that a settlement with Burch had been reached out of court.[45]

Pottery pieces created by Burch were also criticised as being virtually identical to Bordallo Pinheiro ceramics designs, which led to a protest from Bordallo Pinheiro owners Vista Alegre.[46][47]

Internet users also noted that Burch's logo is similar to that of a Portuguese stylist, Nuno Gama, and the Order of Christ Cross, a historical Portuguese insignia.[48]

Personal life

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In 1993, she married William Macklowe, son of real-estate tycoon Harry B. Macklowe, and was divorced within a year.[49] In 1996, she married J. Christopher Burch,[50] an investor in Internet Capital Group, a venture capital firm founded by Walter Buckley and Ken Fox. They have three sons: Henry, Nicholas "Nick", and Sawyer. She also has three stepdaughters from his previous marriage. They divorced in 2006. She continues to use his last name, and for some time continued to live with her children in their New York City apartment.[51]

She dated Lance Armstrong in 2007.[52][53] She was later linked to Lyor Cohen.[54] In 2014, Burch began dating Pierre-Yves Roussel, the former chairman and CEO of LVMH. In 2016, they got engaged,[55] and in November 2018, they married. He became CEO of Burch's company in early 2019, and Burch became executive chairman and chief creative officer.[56][57]

Forbes estimated that she had a net worth at $1.0 billion in 2013,[58] which declined to approximately $850 million by 2019. In November 2024, her net worth was reported to be $1.0 billion again.[59]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "About Us". ToryBurch.com. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  2. ^ "The World's 100 Most Powerful Women: #73 Tory Burch". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 20, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  3. ^ Lutz, Ashley (February 11, 2014). "How Tory Burch Became A Fashion Billionaire In Less Than A Decade". Business Insider.
  4. ^ a b c d e Shnayerson, Michael (February 1, 2007). "An Empire Of Her Own". Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  5. ^ "New York City - Examining The 'Halacha' If Jewish Fashion Mogul Needs A 'Get'". Vos is Neias. November 2, 2008.
  6. ^ Grigoriadis, Vanessa (December 2012). "Tory Burch's Ex Factor". Vanity Fair.
  7. ^ a b O'Halloran, Caroline (March 18, 2011). "Rock star ascending: Main Line-bred jewelry maker Kara Ross". Mainline Media News. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  8. ^ Kroll, Betsy (September 21, 2007). "Tory's Turn". Time. Archived from the original on November 13, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  9. ^ Fitzpatrick, Tommye (September 10, 2012). "First Person - Tory Burch Says Work Hard, Think Long Term and Be Patient". The Business of Fashion. Archived from the original on July 9, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  10. ^ Wahba, Phil (September 25, 2014). "Tory Burch takes on Ralph Lauren veteran as co-CEO". Fortune. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  11. ^ Agins, Teri. "How Tory Burch Found Her Stride". The Wall Street Journal. February 1, 2008.
  12. ^ "Changemakers Advisory Board: Tory Burch". CNBC. October 3, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  13. ^ Clifford, Catherine (May 12, 2017). "Why one exec passed up the chance to be president of this $127 billion company". CNBC. Retrieved May 17, 2017.
  14. ^ Portillo, Caroline McMillan (July 23, 2014). "Exclusive: Tory Burch on life 'Perpetually' out of her comfort zone and why big risks pay big dividends". Columbus Business First. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  15. ^ Zinko, Carolyne (January 25, 2013). "Empowerment in fashion for Tory Burch". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
  16. ^ Tory Sport – Official website. TorySport.com. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  17. ^ Sherman, Lauren (September 17, 2015). "What Tory Burch Did Next". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  18. ^ Haskell, Rob (July 23, 2015). "Tory Burch on Her New Sports Line, Finding Love, and Redefining Success". Vogue. Archived from the original on September 14, 2015. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  19. ^ "Tory Burch | BoF 500 | The People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry". The Business of Fashion. April 18, 2025. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  20. ^ "Tory Burch and Kerry Washington". InStyle. Archived from the original on October 9, 2008. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
  21. ^ "Letter to Fashion Community 25 August 2008". The Council of Fashion Designers of America.
  22. ^ Lockwood, Lisa (December 8, 2020). "Tory Burch Makes Forbes' List of The World's Most Powerful Women". WWD. Retrieved June 24, 2025.
  23. ^ Drain, Kelsey (May 5, 2015). "Victoria Beckham, Tory Burch, Jenna Lyons Named On '50 Most Powerful Moms Of 2015' List". Fashion Times. Archived from the original on September 25, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
  24. ^ "Symposium and Awards Luncheon October 29, 2015". BCRFcure.org. Breast Cancer Research Foundation. November 21, 2014. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  25. ^ Breast Cancer Research Foundation (November 2, 2015). "The Breast Cancer Research Foundation Celebrates $48.5 Million Commitment to Breast Cancer Research". PR Newswire. Retrieved November 6, 2015.
  26. ^ "Tory Burch Has a Message For Women Everywhere: ‘Embrace Your Ambition’; Glamour; November 12, 2019.
  27. ^ Çam, Deniz (November 30, 2020). "Inside Tory Burch's Covid Survival Sketchbook". Forbes. Retrieved December 25, 2020.
  28. ^ McGlone, Peggy (August 20, 2021). "Billie Jean King and Tory Burch named to board of proposed Women's History Museum". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  29. ^ Lockwood, Lisa (March 1, 2022). "Tory Burch Receives Retail Excellence Award From Wharton's Baker Retailing Center and Retail Leaders Circle". WWD. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  30. ^ "Parsons Benefit". The New School. May 23, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  31. ^ Browchuk, Eliseé (May 24, 2022). "The Parsons Benefit Returns Honoring Tory Burch, Lauren Santo Domingo, Darren Walker, and Kehinde Wiley". Vogue. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  32. ^ "CARE 5th Annual Impact Awards Honors Tory Burch, Christy Turlington Burns, Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, Chang K. Park and President Samia Suluhu Hassan". CARE International. November 9, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  33. ^ Kennedy, Joan (September 14, 2023). "Luar, Khaite and Tory Burch Named CFDA Fashion Awards Nominees". Business of Fashion. Retrieved October 6, 2023.
  34. ^ "Drumroll…The Honourees And Nominees For The 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards Have Been Announced". Grazia Magazine. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  35. ^ "Women of the Year Awards 2023: the winners portfolio". Harper's Bazaar. November 7, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  36. ^ Slater, Lydia (November 16, 2023). "The Awards issue: Tory Burch". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  37. ^ Watts, Naomi (April 17, 2024). "Time 100: Tory Burch". Time.
  38. ^ Steinberg, Don (May 30, 2024). "Tory Burch: A fashion reinvention". Time. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  39. ^ Mercer, Emily (October 28, 2024). "How Tory Burch Has Embraced Change: 2024 WWD Honors Women's Designer of the Year". Yahoo! News. WWD. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  40. ^ Carolyn Twersky Winkler (April 9, 2025). "SCAD FASH Museum's Jeanne Lanvin Show Gives the Designer Her Much-Deserved Due". W Magazine. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  41. ^ a b Grigoras, Alina (June 13, 2017). "Romanian traditional coat, copied by designer Tory Burch". Romania Journal. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  42. ^ Sterling, Vivianne (June 12, 2017). "Is Tory Burch's Resort 2018 Collection a Plagiarism?". beautips. Retrieved September 19, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  43. ^ Petter, Olivia (March 26, 2021). "Tory Burch 'acknowledges mistake' over jumper labelled as Mexican: 'We celebrate all cultures'". The Independent. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  44. ^ Donn, Natasha (March 26, 2021). "Portuguese State takes on US fashion designer over "abusive appropriation" of fisherman's sweater". Portugal Resident. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  45. ^ "Câmara da Póvoa do Varzim aceita acordo com estilista norte-americana que copiou camisola poveira". Sol. November 10, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  46. ^ "Tory Burch: Há mais produtos com "inspiração" em Portugal para além das camisolas poveiras". M80. March 26, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  47. ^ Sousa, Tomásia (March 26, 2021). "Bordallo Pinheiro reage à polémica com Tory Burch". Cultura Ao Minuto. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  48. ^ "Tory Burch também veio a Portugal buscar a imagem da sua marca (e a vítima é Nuno Gama)". NiT. March 27, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  49. ^ Davé, Urja (2008). "Tory Burch". Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  50. ^ Fitzsimons, Amanda (August 1, 2008). "Tory Burch's Philadelphia". WWDLifestyle. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  51. ^ "Tory Burch". New York. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  52. ^ Silverman, Stephen M. (October 3, 2007). "Lance Armstrong, Tory Burch Break Up". People. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  53. ^ Salkin, Allen (June 22, 2008). "It's Not About the Bike". The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  54. ^ Abravanel, Lesley (April 5, 2009). "Scene In The Tropics: The Hoff bypasses booze, but not the photo op". The Miami Herald. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
  55. ^ Friedman, Vanessa (January 4, 2016). "Tory Burch and Pierre-Yves Roussel Become Fashion's Newest Power Couple". The New York Times. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  56. ^ Sherman, Lauren (December 11, 2018). "Tory Burch Names Pierre-Yves Roussel CEO". Business of Fashion. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  57. ^ Friedman, Vanessa (December 11, 2018). "When Your New C.E.O. Is Also Your New Husband". The New York Times. Retrieved December 16, 2018.
  58. ^ O'Connor, Clare (January 3, 2013). "Fashion Tycoon Tory Burch Becomes A Billionaire (Thanks, In Part, To $200 Ballet Flats)". Forbes. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
  59. ^ "Profile | Tory Burch". Forbes. Retrieved June 3, 2020.
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