Speedos, Sequins, Chiffon: Tory Burch Is A National Treasure

Downtown is covered in square-toed footprints from last season's Violet T-Strap Flats. The city is filtered through the blue lenses of the Kira Sunglasses. There's more bounce in the streets thanks to the omnipresent hoop dress. And it's all a product of the Toryssance. It's no secret that the girls are gagging for Tory Burch — the Tory comeback began a few seasons ago (specifically, the Spring 2020 show marked a new beginning). But the runway hits keep on coming, and tonight's show was no exception to the rule: When it comes to multitudes, TB has something figured out. She's not just your mom's favorite brand. She's not just an it-girl designer. Somehow, she's both.

The spring/summer 2025 show marks the brand's 28th runway show (if Wikipedia is correct), but a lot has happened since that very first show in 2011. Tonight, in the front row, Michelle Williams, Elizabeth Olson, Mindy Kaling, and Charlotte Lawrence took queus from models in Speedo-inspired swimsuits/bodysuits, twisted pumps, and jersey chiffon dresses. The brand leaned into its American heritage of sport. 38 looks, inspired by "the synchronicity of movement and form" promised a new batch of outfits we're going to actually want to wear (namely, a sequined nylon swimsuit paired with jacquard pants).

The chorus of LCD Soundsystem's 'Dance Yrself Clean' hit as Paloma graced the runway in an indigo side-tie trench-like dress and a wet, slick-back look. Suddenly, it made sense why we were sitting inside a wall-to-floor, green tiled room. This was a swim team moment, and TB was proving that once again, she's the big fish in New York City's sartorial swimming pond.

Tory's story didn't start this way. One can't forget the vibe at Dallas' Highland Park Village Tory Burch shop circa 2007 — printed caftans, logo sandals, and ladies who lunch (in the most aspirational way). It was by no means downtown, but it was something. It was luxury, but it was also fresh at the time. It's no coincidence that Tory just reopened a shop in that very same location earlier this year. On the bottom right corner of this evening's show notes, Tory took it back to that very era with a that read, "'I never thought I'd be famous for a shoe,' my mother Reva said when our ballet debuted in 2006. Now it's back. I love you, mom. You are divine and sublime.'" Nostalgia hits from every direction, especially as show goers spanned every generation. Tory is for all the girls (and it would be no surprise if the brand expanded into mens soon, too).

A few more markers of Tory's rise (and indicators that this team deserves raises, all of them): 2022's Sydney Sweeney x Dazed x Tory Burch, Zendaya in Tory Sport, the Met Gala's dressed-by-Tory becoming an unofficial bad gals club, the recent takeovers at Soho News, and the shoes. In fact, the rampant takeover of the t-strap flat alone says it all. This brand always knew how to make things that sell, and now they're elevating what they already did best.

As tonight's show closed to 'Spacer Woman' by Charlie, the lyrics "We can start it over" reminded the audience that a designer can, and should, design as if it's starting over again and again while pulling from the very thing that made it work in the first place. As the models made their exit, Tory emerged from a green-tiled side door wearing the light blue lenses from the runway. Just as we have evolved from caftans and flats, she proves that she can change with the times, too.