Who started it?
Tory Burch (nee Robinson) was born on June 17, 1966, in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. After graduating with a degree in art history from the University of Pennsylvania, Burch (right) got a job assisting fashion designer Zoran in New York City. She then became an assistant fashion editor at Harper's Bazaar and did PR work for labels such as Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang and Loewe in New York.
In 1996, she married venture capitalist Chris Burch and temporarily retired. However, Burch launched her eponymous label of clothing, accessories, jewellery and small home furnishings in February 2004 with the opening of a boutique in Nolita, Manhattan. She recruited a small staff of designers and got help from her friend Fiona Kotur, a Hong Kong-based accessories designer.
Her brand of chic resort wear and accessories was a big hit - on the day her boutique opened it sold out of its entire inventory.
Her brand became a household name when Oprah Winfrey wore a Tory Burch tunic on the cover of O Magazine the following year. The talk show host also invited Burch on to her show where she showed her collection. Her appearance boosted the profile of her label so much the brand's website received eight million hits afterwards.
In 2005, Burch won the Fashion Group International Rising Star award for best new retail concept.