tory burch ss27

New York City | 09.10.2026 | 7 p.m. EST

As I watched the openers of the Tory Burch show walk onto the runway, I thought, “I think I’ve seen something like this in my grandma’s closet.” But as the show progressed, I realized that this reference to the past was actually intentional. Instead of outdated, overused florals, I saw gold linings and antique elements adorned upon the garments that added a perfect youthful touch. It felt nostalgic, as if a young, teenage girl was playing dress-up with her grandma's stylish hand-me-downs that were worn in the 1950s. I noticed a rich mix of colors: golds, corals, and pops of turquoise. At the same time, the pattern diversity wowed me with everything from embellished flowers and stripes to patterns that looked like they belonged on wallpaper from the White House. It felt pragmatic in a way, with all of the subtle fashion allusions and items I can envision being worn in a Hitchcock movie.

I noticed that as the looks progressed, the silhouettes grew even more daring. Beginning with an oversized, conservative lavender smock and finishing the finale with a sharp, oversized black trench coat that had flared out by the knees, paired alongside one of the repeating items that I must say I adored: their hand-painted silk feathers. Whether these appeared in the form of a boa, a bag, or an entire blouse, they gave the collection its definition and singularity. The collection inspired a variety of patterns, but everything still felt cohesive as the next model walked out. The brazen purple blouse and red silk skirt later foreshadowed the more muted look with the brown pleated skirt alongside the same red shade for the shirt. The entire show felt unapologetically fabulous and completely encompassed the art of playing dress-up while still maintaining the luxurious qualities that are attributed to the high-standing house Tory Burch.

The collection undoubtedly favored structured shoulders, relaxed waistlines, and U-shaped necklines. The necklines were distinct, utilizing a mixture of crisp tailored collars, ruffled scallops, thick swallowing boas, or delicate scarves. The body was emphasized in ways that concealed it. I never saw a piece from this show that drew in to one feature of the body to the extent that we saw in shows from the original Christian Dior and his admiration for waistlines, or YSL and their grand shoulders from FW2026. The proportions were balanced, which seemed fitting since most of the spectacular element derived from the patterns. I cannot praise the variety of decorations that were printed onto the designs enough. It was as though I was seeing a modern-day version of the Palais de Versailles printed onto a line of clothing. This is not to say that the show felt completely new. In fact, each different component of the clothing was like walking through a decades gallery. The tailoring was prominently 1940s, and the jewelry and prints had the same eccentric qualities we saw from the 70s.

LOOK 27 — ★★★★★
What it is + why it matters.

The coat dress was indisputably the most notable borrowed style from the wartime era of the 1930s and 40s. It enraptured military-style utility with highly polished details with subtle ladylike distinctions. The execution was made with clinical precision, looking at the flawless slicked-back hair in addition to the sleek black pumps, everything came together to curate the spitting image of a utilitarian representation.

LOOK 33 — ★★★★★
What it is + why it matters.

Personally, look 33 was my favorite. While the feathers only had appeared as an accessory before, now they made up the entire focus of the outfit. The colors were beautifully complimentary with a rich purple as the base of the feathers and the primary skirt color, with bright mustard yellow accents composing the shoes, and of course, an opulent gold for the tips of the feathers. The precision in each individual detail was what really allowed this look to leave an impression, and I especially enjoyed the silhouette drawing on an enormous upper body contrasting with a narrow skirt frame.

Something that often goes unnoticed is styling. Some designers fail to fully take advantage of the impact that hair, makeup, shoes, and accessories can have to enrich a piece, but Tory Burch is definitely not one of them. The hair never stole the show; it paved the way for the clothing to shine without being distractingly fabulous or looking like a complete and utter wreckage. The models typically wore their hair naturally down and tucked behind them, with the occasional gel updo. Makeup was similarly minimal and natural. Shoes, however, did not follow the same unnoticed effect that makeup and hair did. The shoes always brought an element of surprise to the runway and unexpectedly would look amazing in addition to the clothing. In look number 37, nobody would have thought to pair a primarily light yellow look with bright green shoes, yet Burch did and made it work. And of course, what would this show have been without the accessories? The constant usage of grandiose bags, belts, and scarves practically carried more weight for the show than the pieces did themselves, and they made it possible for the design to truly shine as a design as opposed to seeming plainly constructed.

For me, this collection radiated feminism, nostalgia, as well as patriotism, and the clothing acted as a Time Machine—taking me back to black and white movies I had seen from the past, and what I imagine fashion to have been like in the 40s.

FROM THE ARCHIVE: The wallpaper prints, granny sweaters, broad-shouldered suits, and high-waisted trousers played into the entire mid-century glamour and transported the viewer into a snapshot of the past.

THE VERDICT — 9/10

Performed wonderfully, unified but individual, and overall, far more stimulating than I had even imagined. The collection didn’t need to reinvent the past to be successful; it just needed to build upon it, which is exactly what it did.