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Our new concept store on Melrose Avenue did double-duty earlier this month. In addition to being a shopping destination, it was the site of a field trip for a group of 25 sophomores from the Otis College of Art and Design. The group visited for the chance to experience the unique space and hear from Humberto Leon who collaborated with Tory on the store design, featuring the work of German photographer Walter Schels; the pair also partnered on a special Melrose capsule collection of T-shirts, sweatshirts, and totes. After exploring the store, the students sat down with Humberto, a multihyphenate creative director who talked to group about his career trajectory in general and his partnership with Tory at Melrose in particular. It was a unique learning experience. “For Otis students, the invaluable insights gained from Humberto serve as lessons that will guide their paths whether they venture into established brands or embark on their own entrepreneurial journeys in fashion,” said Leonardo Lawson, an entrepreneur and business leader who serves on OTIS’s board of trustees and joined the outing. The key takeaway for the students has broader resonance for anyone with aspirations in a creative field: find your voice, be original and create something that fosters an emotional connection. “The thing people remember when they go into a space is the feeling,” Humberto said. The feeling in the boutique that morning? Unforgettable.
What’s old is new again. As part of our ongoing partnership with the School of Fashion at Parsons School of Design - The New School, now in its third year, our company donated surplus Tory Burch materials – old samples, deadstock fabric, trims, hardware, packaging – for an upcycling course. The challenge: create an entirely new design that captures the Tory Burch brand values. Earlier this week, a select group of eight finalists presented their projects to Tory along with Jennifer Gootman, SVP, Global Head of Sustainability & ESG Strategy, Jaime Perlman, VP, Global Brand Creative and members of the Design and Creative teams. The results were a Master Class in creative reinvention. One student fashioned a look made entirely out of deadstock shoelaces, another designed bags and accessories using only packaging, and others deconstructed and reimagined old samples beyond recognition. As Tory noted, “It shows you can take anything and create something else.”
Meet Victor Carter, a maintenance technician at our Distribution Center—and our very own Clark Kent with a secret alter ego. When he’s not doing his part to keep our state-of-the-art warehouse in peak performance, he’s performing, most recently in Usher’s halftime show at the Super Bowl. He also was Usher’s stand-in and worked on the choreography. "Dancing is my escape," says Victor, who's performed with everyone from Usher, TLC and Keri Hilson to Justin Bieber and UniverSoul Circus. "It's a rush but also frees my mind and brings me to a place of peace." The Georgia native, who's also appeared in a number of music videos, had his first solo show at age three—while performing for the family on a table. At 17, he went on his first major tour, criss-crossing the globe with rapper Bow Wow. "Having both of these jobs is the biggest blessing," Victor adds. "I stopped touring full-time because I wanted to give my family more stability. Now I have the best of both worlds. I work with the best team here, who challenge me to be better and grow and support me in my passions. I'm so thankful."
Tory often says, “If cash is king, culture is queen.” Since founding our company in 2004, she has been intent on fostering a positive work environment and our Buddy Values, named in honor of Tory’s father, Buddy Robinson, are the cornerstone of our culture. These values are also the basis of our Buddy Awards, a program designed to recognize members of #TeamTory who embody our ideals: honesty and kindness; passion and humility; integrity and compassion; and excellence and humor. Last month, our 2023 Buddy Award Winners from around the world, 43 in all, gathered in New York City for three days of special events and activities, including a cocktail party at the home of Tory and our CEO Pierre-Yves Roussel, tours of our atelier and archive, and a special event at our Mercer Street boutique. “Being selected as a Buddy Winner is incredibly special, and the opportunity to bond with fellow global winners is a memory I will cherish forever,” said Erin P. Dunn, Director of Retail Operations. “I am still in a state of excitement and savoring my experience in New York,” added Michelle Guan, Regional Director in China, noting in true Buddy fashion: “This honor belongs not only to me, but to my team.”
We’re honored by the high level of social media engagement with our brand during New York Fashion Week. Tory Burch was a top performer for our Fall/Winter 2024 runway show last week with 1.9 million conscious click-based actions such as likes, shares and comments – up 39% over last season – according to ListenFirst, the social analytics firm. A big driver of our success: TikTok, where we had 1M total engagements, the highest of any brand and twice the number of engagements of the next closest brand; 64% of all TikTok engagements for brands during NYFW were ours. As WWD noted, “Tory Burch’s influencer strategy remains a cornerstone, capitalizing on content that caters to viewers’ desire for deeper access to behind-the-scenes content.” Congratulations to our team. And thank you to our fans and followers on social media!
At Tory Burch, it’s all about our customers, our teams and our products. Our Client Services team is at the nexus of all of it, working with clients across eight different channels – voice, SMS, chat, email, Instagram, Messenger, Twitter (now X) and Facebook – and around the world to ensure they are happy with their purchases. “In many ways, our Client Services team members are like superheroes,” noted John Barbee, Chief Logistics & Client Services Officer and Global Head of Operational Excellence. “Through their unwavering dedication and care, our specialists support our customers across all moments of their journey with us. And these are the moments of truth that create loyal customers to our brand!” Last month, we celebrated these superheroes in headsets – 93 men and women – during National Customer Service Week. The festivities included a range of events, activities, presentations and surprises, as well as a special video message from our CEO Pierre-Yves Roussel thanking them for all that they do. “This is one of the best jobs I’ve ever had,” said Client Services Specialist Tiffany Johnson. “I always have a great time during Client Services Week. It’s always special.” This team is, too.
Women’s empowerment, sustainability and giving back. Our Japan team wove together these three important strands of our business for an internal Charity Market and Family Day in the showroom of their Corporate offices in Tokyo last month. “We wanted to turn our company values and goals into action in a fun and meaningful way,” explained Erika Kamata, Talent Director for Tory Burch Japan. For this event, team members donated an assortment of personal items that they no longer used or needed, including clothes, bags, shoes, tableware, toys, books and stationary. At the market, which was open for a week, team members could name their price for their purchases, as long as it met a modest minimum, with all proceeds going to Oami Shelter, an animal rescue group. The market also featured items from women entrepreneurs whose products are environmentally friendly or who donate a portion of their sales to animal welfare organizations or create jobs for people with disabilities. “Meeting and greeting people in the office who I know only through email made me feel closer to them,” said Miryong Kimoto, Assistant Store Manager at Ginza. "I felt grateful to be in a space full of happiness and am proud to be part of a company that gives back.”
Whether you work in our Corporate Headquarters, one of our boutiques or at our North America Distribution Center in McDonough, GA, we want every member of #TeamTory globally to feel valued, respected and inspired to do their best work. This is the lens through which we look at leadership at our company and, to that end, we rolled out our Admired Leadership® program in 2019 with CRA. This year, we customized the program for the supervisors at our distribution center. We are proud to recognize Jose Herrera, Ervin Buchanan, Eryn Rusch and Cristen Williams (pictured from l. to r.) who earned the highest Admired Leadership scores across our DC Supervisor community, based on the ratings they received from their teams. The Fab Four were recognized for their leadership at the DC’s Town Hall last month and recently shared their best advice and secrets to success with the team. For Eryn, leadership is all about building a strong relationship with your direct reports. “Understand that by being a leader, you work for the team that you lead,” she noted. “You have to have compassion and connect with your team beyond the day-to-day duties; they want to do their best for someone they know and trust.” It’s a reciprocal relationship, added Jose: “I have learned as much from my team as they have learned from me.” Congratulations Jose, Ervin, Eryn and Cristen - we admire your leadership!
We are thrilled to be named a “Breakout Brand” on the Q3 2023 Lyst Index, a quarterly ranking of fashion brands on a “powerful and rapid upwards trajectory.” The Lyst Index also included our Pierced Mule among their “10 Hottest Products” in the quarter. We appreciate the recognition and are grateful to our friends, followers and customers!
We are honored to be included among WWD's "Top 10 Collections" of spring 2024 across New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks. Our show was an unforgettable night for our entire team at the Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation in the American Museum of Natural History . Thank you WWD for the recognition!
