Inspired by Angkor Wat

Tory Burch has a whole new way of looking at beauty, with spring-summer 2016 looks inspired by time, nature and unexpected places like Angkor Wat.

“We were inspired by how beauty is enhanced through time and nature,” says designer Burch. “There’s an emphasis on contrast: natural fabrics paired with iridescence; neutrals with brights; simple shapes with texture and intricate embroideries. Accessories include oxidized jewelry, handbags with opalescent edging and shoes with a sculptural gold heel, originally inspired by a slice of natural bark.”

For contrasts in the spring collection, Tory Burch went to extremes — high and low, rough and shine. “We started with natural raw material then added color, embellishment and translucent details. With the iridescence, we thought about water: morning mist, the dew on leaves and how flowers coming up bring in the color.”

For tunics, “We were thinking a lot about how things evolve over time, like Angkor Wat. It’s even more beautiful today than when it was first built centuries ago. We looked at tunics in that same way. It is one of our signature pieces and we really wanted to push the silhouette forward with different shapes and proportions — cut-out sides layered with cropped wide-legged pants or as a lace-trimmed dress or a top worn over shorts.”

Her silhouettes pair cropped tops with high-waisted skirts and long caftans with shorts and cropped widelegged trousers; while colors — naturally, for spring — cover the spectrum: “We had a whole palette of neutrals — white, beige and oatmeal — and then we paired it with bright colors like marigold, a very beautiful yellow. We also did poppy red with an incredible blue; I love the impact of the color-on-color, it is very vibrant.”

Her jewelry will be “all about oxidization — what happens with copper or brass over time. I love the mix of beautiful stones with the roughness of the patina.”

Handbags go with halfmoon shapes and brass handles wrapped in wicker, embellished dome clutches for day and evening; shoes work around “a sculptural heel that looks like bark. We used a high-gloss resin in either gold or white, playing the organic shape against high shine.”

In the Philippines, Tory Burch is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists, Inc., a member of SSI Group, Inc., and is located at Greenbelt 5, Rustan’s Makati, and Rustan’s Shangri-La. Visit www.ssilife.com.ph for more information.

Criss-cross: “To contrast the more natural and organic part of the collection, we included a number of design elements that emphasized simple shapes and clean lines — such as criss-cross details. You can see them in the construction of the guipure lace...

Oxidized: “The jewelry is all about oxidation, and the idea of what happens over time. We oxidized everything — collar necklaces, drop earrings, cuffs, rings… Metal wasn’t meant to look like this, but it’s turned beautiful and new over time.”

Sling fling: “The key silhouette is a squaretoe slingback, with a very small opening at the toe,” says Burch. “The emphasis is on texture, especially in the heels: stacked raw leather and horn inlays.”

Backstage, Tory Burch ss 2016: “There’s a lot of texture in this collection — in the lace, the tweeds, the fringe. I especially love the smocking we’ve done; it’s a technique we’ve carried over from last season.”

Tory Burch springsummer 2016 bag collection: “We experimented with both high-tech lasercutting and handcrafted techniques — like the macramé bag that features light-refracting pearls. There’s a special detail in everything.”

Sculptur a l gol d shoes: “We were inspired by a slice of bark that we turned into this bold heel — it goes back to our original inspiration in nature.”