Tory Burch will happily admit that she hasn t spent much time in the American Southwest. "Except in my head," Burch said today, as she showed off her new Southwestern-inspired collection. "I m drawing on an imaginary landscape, I guess." Thus her take on the region was very much a gloss on its recognizable motifs, with nods to Native American basket weaving, desert sunsets, cacti, and desert flowers. There was even a hot pepper or two featured in her punchy silk print. But what the collection lacked in reportorial rigor it more than made up for in aplomb: The designer s silhouettes boasted an appealing sense of ease—which was balanced against her clothes richness of texture. Silk skirts and maxi dresses were fully ruched; raffia trim was incorporated into knits; and apron-style dresses came with multicolored allover embroidery or in a luxe—but not weighty—desert flower jacquard. Burch also added to the line s atmosphere of tactility by incorporating hand-painted effects, as in her graphic painted leaf print "sunset" dresses, whose watercolor-y look was achieved, it turned out, via weave.
Aside from the Southwest, Burch claimed another key reference this season: the 19th-century Viennese designer Carl Auböck, whose workshop continues to produce goods for the home. Auböck s presence in the collection was felt in its utilitarian touches—to wit, the slouchy carpenter pants—and in the wood-and-brass hardware Burch applied to her bags. This was a particularly solid outing for Burch as far as bags were concerned: Their muscular minimalism will appeal to women outside the (large) circle of loyal Tory fans.
