Tory Burch (born June 17, 1966; née Robinson) is an American fashion designer, business woman and philanthropist who was born, raised and educated in the Philadelphia metropolitan area.

She attended the Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, PA, and the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta. After graduation, she moved to New York City, where she began a career working with fashion designers, including Zoran, a Yugoslavian designer. She worked at Harper's Bazaar magazine.She was a copywriter for Polo Ralph Lauren and worked for Vera Wang.

She began a fashion label in February 2004. The label was an immediate success and was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey the following year. The label has stores in several large American cities and has lines that are sold in several upscale specialty department stores. Burch has won several fashion awards for her designs. The company has since grown to 36 stores, four of which are outlet stores in Woodbury Commons, NY; San Marcos, TX; Camarillo, CA; and Orlando, FL Premium Outlets. Her fashion label known as "TRB by Tory Burch"—later as "Tory Burch"—began as a business operation in her Upper East Side apartment and quickly blossomed into free-standing boutiques,now numbering 26.[4] In February 2004, Tory Burch opened a flagship store in the NoLIta neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City The store was almost completely sold out on the first day.Stories about her and her fashion line have been in a broad spectrum of magazines and newspapers,and in April 2005, Winfrey endorsed her line on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Personal life

Born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Burch was raised with her four brothers (Robert, James, Leonard, and Nick)in a Valley Forge farmhouse where her mother, Reva Robinson, still lived in 2008. The house is a 250-year old Georgian near the Valley Forge National Historical Park.Her mother is a former actress who dated Steve McQueen and Marlon Brando. Her father, Buddy Robinson, who was a wealthy investor, is now deceased.Her father inherited a stock exchange seat and a paper cup company. He dated Grace Kelly and Joan Bennett. Tory's father was fourteen years older than her mother.
Burch in Porto Ercole, Italy, wearing a Tory Burch tunic

Tory served as captain of the tennis team and rode horses while at the Agnes Irwin School.Tory attended the University of Pennsylvania, where she was a member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She majored in art history, and graduated in 1988.

From 1997 through 2006, she was married to Christopher Burch,[8] an investor in Internet Capital Group, a venture capital firm founded by Walter Buckley and Ken Fox. Previously she was married to William Macklowe, son of real-estate tycoon Harry B. Macklowe. She dated Lance Armstrong in 2007. More recently, she has been linked to Lyor Cohen.After divorcing from Burch, she continued to live with her children in their New York City apartment. Burch has three sons and three stepdaughters:Children Henry, Nicholas, and Sawyer and step children Alexandra, Elizabeth, and Louisa.

Business

Shoe with Tory Burch medallion

Her company produces caftans, sequined cardigans, tunics, children's swimwear, jewelry, handbags, shoes, and sunglasses.The style has been described as Preppy-boho and Preppy-bohemian luxe.Some select styles of sunglasses, such as the Rounded Aviator, have the signature logo printed on the lens.Her styles are popular with the viewers and fans of the television show Gossip Girl, which they often appear on,and her style transcends generations.Her style is known for being easy to wear. In 2007, there were wait lists to buy her fashions,which are hallmark representations of and homages to 1950s and 1960s fashions.Her fashions are known for including her T-logo medallion. Her clothing is versatile enough to be part of the wardrobe of a clientele ranging from working women and soccer moms to socialites and wealthy women. Burch named her popular line of Reva ballerina flats after her mother. Burch is known as one of the leaders in turning the t-shirt into a fashion item.

In 2008, she beat Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors for the Council of Fashion Designers of America, as the accessories designer of the year. In 2007, she won the Accessory Brand Launch of the year award from the Accessories Council of Excellence. In 2005, she won Rising Star Award to Burch for best new Retail Concept from the Fashion Group International.

In 2009, Burch appeared in the fourth episode of Gossip Girl season three as herself.
Burch at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival

There are currently 26 Tory Burch boutiques in the US and two boutiques in the Philippines (the other one is set to open soon). Her fashion line is carried in Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus Nordstrom and Bloomingdale's.In 2009, Tory Burch sold a minority stake in her company to a Mexican private equity firm, Tresalia Capital.

Philanthropy

In 2008, Burch founded the Tory Burch Foundation, which provides "economic opportunities to women and their families".The Tory Burch Foundation is currently partnered with ACCION USA to provide domestic microfinance to low income entrepreneurs in the United States. ACCION USA is a non-profit domestic microfinance provider founded in 1991.Burch explained the reason for her focus as “I like microfinance in particular because it isn’t charity in the traditional sense. It’s about investing in people who might otherwise not have the chance to pursue their goals and helping families lift themselves out of poverty…It’s also incredibly important to the economic recovery of our country.” Burch’s stores sell several products whose proceeds support the Foundation’s work.

Burch is on the board of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and, in 2006, chaired the spring gala for the American Ballet Theatre which raised an estimated $1.8 million. In 2008, Burch was honored at a Colleague Helpers in Philanthropic Services (C.H.I.P.S.) luncheon that benefited the Children’s Institute, Inc.

Socialite

Burch at 2007 Accessories Council of Excellence awards

Her parents were part of Philadelphia high society. Now, she is a socialite and businesswoman. She was co-chair of the American Ballet Theater Spring Gala in 2007 along with Caroline Kennedy, Carolina Herrera, Susan Fales-Hill (Misty Copeland's sponsor), Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, and Sloan Lindemann Barnett.She is also active in a variety of socialite activities such as the passing out gift bags at The Lung Cancer Research Foundation's "Strides for Life" Race.

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
2004 Just a Clown (special thanks)
2008 America's Next Top Model (special thanks)
2009 Gossip Girl Herself (season 3,4th episode)
2012 Fashion King Herself Cameo