Tory Burch Is Better Than Ever.but Don't Call It a Comeback

The fashion veteran's business is hitting its stride— and she says, at 58, she finally feels like a real designer.

- JENNIFER CONRAD

Tory Burch, the brand, is in the midst of a comeback—a “Toryssance!”—if you believe the fashion press. That’s news to Tory Burch, the person: “I didn’t know I’d gone anywhere, I can tell you that.” Indeed, the 58-year-old fashion designer and her 21-year-old eponymous brand have been stalwarts in an industry known for its short attention span. The company she founded in 2004 is still independently owned and reportedly pulled in close to $2 billion in revenue in 2023. Her staying power has everything to do with her being a savvy brand builder and learning from her mistakes.

Case in point: A public legal battle with ex-husband and venture capitalist Chris Burch, who helped her launch her fashion line. In 2011, he launched a similar line called C. Wonder and she accused him of “unfair competition.” (They settled in 2012.) Since then, she’s learned how to bridge personal and professional partnerships, which is how she views her decision, in 2019, to hand over the CEO reins to her current husband, Pierre-Yves Roussel, the former chairman and CEO of LVMH’s fashion group. “It’s important to have your own areas of focus and come together on strategy,” she says. Thanks to this epiphany, Burch is devoting more time than ever to creative—hence the Toryssance—and business has never been better. Sitting down with Inc., Burch shared more of her business and life lessons.

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