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Eyecare Business

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Behind the Lines

The fashion designer discusses her strategies for high-end success in a down market and the inspiration behind her new collection of eyewear from Luxottica

Eyecare Business March 1, 2010

Behind the Lines

Tory Burch

beyond The Flats

Getting her start in optical with a new collection of eyewear and sunwear for women with Luxottica is a natural step for Tory Burch, whose ballet flats brought attention to a design house that continues to rise in the fashion world today.

Tory Burch eyewear is an affordable entry into the fashion brand which promotes itself as “an attainable, luxury lifestyle brand defined by classic American sportswear with an eclectic sensibility which embodies the personal style and spirit of its co-founder and creative director, Tory Burch.” The company has an agreement with Luxottica to design and distribute Tory Burch eyewear that is slated to run for six years and is renewable for another four years.

Tory Burch was launched in February 2004 as a lifestyle collection with multiple product categories, including ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, and jewelry.

The designer made her start to fill a void in the market for a sophisticated American aesthetic at an accessible price point.

On her website, Burch provides insights to her inspirations for the eyewear collection. The factors that influenced her aesthetics start in childhood with her parents' eyewear choices of oversized sunglasses for her mother and horn rim frames for her father.

Other style inspirations include early 1970s looks including Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway's navigator and aviator choices, Grace Kelly's cats eye sunglasses, Jackie Onassis' oversized rounds, and Paul Newman's foldable shields.

Additional design-driving elements include Tory's childhood on a farm outside of Philadelphia, art, photography, films, travel and the work of interior designer David Hicks. Graphic prints, bold colors, and ethnic detailing are all signatures of the brand. Tory Burch eye-wear brings these inspirations into designs for women of all ages.

Point-of-purchase materials for the collection reflect the Tory Burch signature look from her flagship boutique in New York, where the space is designed to feel more like a room in her home than a traditional retail store, and key design elements include orange lacquer and Lucite.

P.O.P. includes a logo plaque, a four-piece tray, and a one-piece tray. A three-piece cardboard display with logo and brand image, sunwear and ophthalmic eyewear images on countercards and posters, and banners are also available.

INFO: www.toryburch.com, www.luxottica.com

One on One with Tory Burch

How does eyewear and sunwear tie into the Tory Burch collection?
We design our collection as a whole. All our categories, from ready-to-wear and accessories to shoes and eyewear, make sense together and are meant to be worn together or worked seamlessly into our customer's wardrobe.

Your pricing for the collection of eyewear and sunwear is very competitive...how does that fit in to your overall plans for the Tory Burch brand?
From the beginning, we have focused on offering women well-designed, well-made, well-priced fashion. When we launch new categories or expand others, this is always our main goal.

Some say the “class to mass” movement has disappeared due to the financial crisis. How has the recession impacted your business plans?
This past year forced us all to be better and respond faster to any challenges. We've been fortunate in that it hasn't impacted our business plan in a major way. From the very beginning, our commitment has been to maintaining our prices and quality, and this has helped us weather the storm. Leading up, we were extremely careful about how quickly we grew, which put us in a good position when the economy changed. This is still how we think—we do incredible amounts of research before we do anything, whether it's introducing a new category or opening our first flagship in Asia. We were able to do both last year with the launch of eyewear and with the opening of our Ginza, Japan, boutique.

During your recent panel discussion at the National Retail Federation conference, it was said that things “aren't good yet, but they aren't as bad” and it was time to think about how to bring the excitement back to retail. How can retailers can do that?
We always want to know what our customers are thinking and saying. Her feedback is invaluable and the most direct barometer of what we're doing right or wrong. We want to offer her true value— amazing designs at understandable prices; looks that are versatile and seasonless. Right now, we want to give her more than what she expects in terms of selection and customer service. Customer service is so important. If she's happy from the moment she steps into our boutique or logs in online to when she leaves, then she's going to return.

Who do you think will be the consumer of the new Tory Burch eyewear collection?
She's a multi-generational woman who has her own unique sense of style and gravitates toward looks that complement that.

What are the sunwear looks that speak to you for the season?
I love the classic look of tortoise and leather, but with modern metal accents and details.

There has been a long-standing push in the optical industry to ask patients how many pairs of shoes they have and then ask why they only have one pair of glasses or sunglasses. As the creator of an iconic shoe collection, what do you think of this line of thought?
Personally, I wear sunglasses year-round and have a few pairs that are my go-to's depending on what I'm wearing. Women buy accessories, whether shoes, eyewear, or jewelry, that work with their personal styles and make sense with their wardrobe.

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