NEW YORK – Ready or not, here she comes.
Just when you think you know Tory Burch’s next move, she subverts expectations and continues her reign as one of the most interesting American designers today.
The designer brought out a cadre of stars for her New York Fashion Week show Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Sunken Garden by Isamu Noguchi in downtown Manhattan. Though far from an underground designer, Burch took her show to subterranean levels before she reached new heights with her collection and her front row, which included a fashionably timely Lauryn Hill, flanked by daughter Sara Marley and niece Kymora Marley, as well as actress Amanda Seyfried, “Saturday Night Live” alum Chloe Fineman and fashion power broker Anna Wintour.
Alex Eala, the young newcomer who dominated at the US Open until her defeat by best friend and fellow young star Iva Jovic, also joined along with emerging talent Ravyn Lenae and established celebrities like Padma Lakshmi and director Janicza Bravo.
Hill, in oversized sunglasses and an olive-green cinched top and tiered skirt with a silk scarf draped delicately over her head, garnered camera flashes from every angle. Perched atop her lap (and on the arms of everyone in the front row) was Burch’s newly released Bunny Knot bag, with Hill’s in a butter yellow color with the dark knot detailing looking like polka dots.
Burch, who’s made waves with her musical selections (like Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” at her February fall/winter 2026 presentation), kicked off the show with “Bad Moon Rising” by Creedence Clearwater Revival before transitioning into Enya’s “Boadicea,” which was famously sampled by Hill and The Fugees with their song “Ready or Not” off their 1996 album “The Score.” (Oddly enough, an hour later at a Chelsea venue, the soundtrack of the Public School fashion show runway also included the same instrumental track.)
The last time Burch showcased her designs in a sculptural, circular space – at September 2023’s show at the Gilder Center in the American Natural History Museum – she began the start of the Tory-ssance, recentering the brand to have a cool-girl sensibility and an edgier ethos.
At Thursday’s show, on the first official day of New York Fashion Week, Burch actually made florals for spring groundbreaking, with unexpected color combinations of lavender, teal, aubergine and emerald green in floral embroidery and floral garlands resembling gajra draped around the neck or clutched with a purse.
Butter yellow was paired with deep grays, kelly green with eggplant purple (which also paired with a standout piece, the golden brown textured jacket that looked like a blooming plant), while some of her signature draping on the bodice of dresses gave way to flowing skirts.
Emily Ratajkowski, a favorite model for Burch, took the runway in a slightly sheer navy tank with red detailing and a matching pleated navy midi skirt and brown medallion belt.
“Opulent femininity meets American pragmatism, seen through the collector’s eye,” Burch wrote in the show notes, adding that her spring/summer 2027 collection “explores the psychology of how women pull things together. They want beauty, utility, and humor – the joy of getting dressed.”
Anika Reed is USA TODAY’s deputy entertainment editor, covering all things entertainment and pop culture. Find her on Instagram and TikTok, or send her an email at ajreed@usatoday.com.