Tory Burch Celebrates the Opening of her New Manhattan Flagship

_{Tory Burch’s new Madison Avenue Boutique}

When it was nothing more than a small collection of tunics that launched when its eponymous founder was better known for being a socialite than a fashion designer, Tory Burch was on my radar and over the years I’ve paid close attention to its development. I’ve watched it grow into the multimillion lifestyle empire that it is today with a global presence and storefronts in some of the most sought after locations in retail real estate. There really are only a few brands that have risen to the level of success that Tory has achieved and with as quick of a trajectory. One of the things I admire most about the brand is how, over the years, Tory has developed a signature style so highly identifiable that it can only be considered iconic…in the same vein of brands like Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein…Apple. You get the drift. As Tory continues to expand her empire, this week in particular is an especially big one for her as she held her very first runway show to debut her Spring ’12 collection at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week to rave reviews and also opened her a beautiful new 8,000 square foot global flagship store on Madison Avenue.

_{Tory Burch on Madison Ave}

The new boutique on Madison Ave is a shining example of Tory’s signature style as is her other store designs around the world. For this store and all of her others, she collaborated with her friend/architect/decorator Daniel Romualdez who also designed her stunning 9,000 square foot apartment at the Pierre. You can see it here. There was a great article last year in the Wall Street Journal about how Tory’s personal interior design has influenced her store design in a big way. In the article she said that she aims for her shops to feel like a beautiful residential space where customers can feel as comfortable as they do at home. Although each of Tory’s shops has its own unique design design, they all include a few key signature elements that unify the spaces and help create that signature Tory Burch store identity: lacquered walls, tiered brass chandeliers, graphic carpets, bursts of pattern, slipcovered sofas, x-benches, eggplant purples, pea greens, pops of high-gloss orange…the combinations are quite brilliant and all of these elements come together to create a glamorous ambiance that only enhances the shopping experience. Here’s another view of her stunning Madison Ave boutique and a few others around the world:

_{Tory Burch Madison Avenue}

_{Tory Burch Seoul S. Korea}

_{Tory Burch Meatpacking District NYC}

_{Tory Burch Los Angeles}

_{Tory Burch East Hampton}

_{Tory Burch in her new Madison Ave boutique’s VIP salon}

On the evening of Tory’s fashion week debut, a bevy of VIPs and celebrities packed the new Madison Ave flagship to celebrate its launch. Burch’s hip hop mogul boyfriend Lyor Cohen was there which probably explains the eclectic mix of celebs that were present which included hip hop figures like Russell Simmons, Jay-Z, Questlove from The Roots, Estelle, Beyonce and more. Here are a few photos from the opening celebration:

_{Tory Burch & Beyonce}

_{Lyor Cohen (aka Tory’s BF. And on a side note – the backdrop of hydrangeas is gorge!)}

_{Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Douglas Friedman & Carlos Mota}

_{Linda Fargo}

_{Marina Rust Connor}

_{Paula Patton}

_{Tamara Mellon}

_{Vera Wang}

_{Aerin Lauder}

Photos: Toryburch.com and Style.cocm