Tory Burch

Tory Burch
A resolutely ladylike and demure showing in mostly muted tones hues ruled at Tory Burch, cast again an appropriately stately venue, the Pierre hotel. The collection included ensembles thick with embellishment (namely, sequins and beading) plus textures like fur, velvet, and laser-cut leather. There were lots of allover prints—most notably, a black-and-white floral print that recurred throughout, which Burch herself wore in the form of a tidy V-neck shift to take her bow. Hems hit just below the knee. Many of the dresses were underlaid with turtleneck sweaters—a zeitgeist-y ’90s touch and a practical layering trick for fall.

Business is booming for Christopher Burch. Yesterday it was announced that colossal hedge fund Fidelty took a $35 million stake in the company, valuing C. Wonder at $350 million. That’s quite a feat for a company that’s only been around since Burch opened his first retail store in New York’s Soho nabe in October of 2011. With the massive deal settled, the brand is planning a mega-expansion: By 2014, Burch plans to open between 50 and 100 retail stores, including international operations in Germany, Dubai, and Japan. The end goal is to amass 110 stores in the U.S., which would be part of a global portfolio of up to 350 retail spots.

Elie Tahari is getting a new man in charge. Bob Galvin, formerly president of The Camuto Group, is taking on the CEO title at Tahari. Galvin was responsible for growing The Camuto Group into a successful lifestyle company, which started with affordable fashionable footwear from Vince Camuto, and has grown to be align with moneymaking brands like Tory Burch, Jessica Simpson and Lucky Jeans, to name a few.