Tory Burch AW2016 Collection

 Tory Burch AW2016 Collection combines the nonchalance of street style inspired by the café scene in Éric Rohmer’s 1972 film L’amour l'après-midi with Burch's childhood love of horseback riding. It’s a refined take on sportswear classics, with equestrian details: coats done in bold jockey-silk patterns, skinny jodhpurs, trapunto-stitch bombers…There are sporty elements throughout, including pieces from Tory Sport. Accessories reflect the mood, from a convertible harness bag to boots with removable spats and our update on the Reva flat.

Silhouettes range from Seventies-inspired A-line skirts to jodhpur pants to track jackets for a modern wardrobe that can be mixed and layered according to individual style. Dresses, cinched at the waist, are worn over turtlenecks and tailored pants are paired with high-collared shirts or sporty knits and cropped blazers.

Bombers make a statement in several distinct materials and finishes. Eveningwear takes on a relaxed, cool vibe with fluid gowns and pajama-style dressing. Bold colors like red, blue and green mix with an earthy palette of rust, brown and plum balanced by morning fog and ivory.

The collection opens with sporty stripes and colorful jockey-silk patterns, and then moves into a vintage floral on a black ground and an artful interpretation of horses pulling a chariot. A print inspired by the Gemini Link rounds out the collection’s tomboy chic appeal with its perfectly symmetrical links based on the double-T logo.

An eclectic mix of materials puts the focus on texture, from ribbed knits and boiled wool to intricate patterned lace, lamé silk, suede and glossy eelskin pieced together in bold stripes. Trapunto stitching, quilting and piped edges add graphic interest. The equestrian motif sets the tone in accessories complemented by the Gemini Link. Boots and booties go from the paddock to the runway with horseshoe-shaped heels, spats and horsehair tassels handcrafted by a Brazilian gaucho.

Handbags are unstructured and versatile from graphic hobos to easy shapes with harness belts and hooded buckles. Pendant necklaces and shoulder-sweeping earrings with natural horsehair tassels underscore the collection’s effortless spirit.  Designed to evoke a classic Parisian café, the set is anchored by a floor custom-painted in neutral shades of black, brown and bone to resemble intricate tilework.

Natural light streams through the expansive windows of the venue as guests, seated in café chairs, take in the passing parade of street style. The collection’s nonchalant mood is echoed in the runway music produced by Michel Gaubert, including The Chromatics’ cover of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, Chilly Gonzales’ “Advantage Points” and Colombe (Canblaster remix) by Turzi. A natural look with fresh, clean faces and hair tied in a low, loose bun underscores the collections's easy energy and versability.