or anyone who has been watching closely, it is obvious that a subtle shift has been brewing at Tory Burch HQ. It first became noticeable in the designer’s early pandemic collections, but really solidified in her spring/summer 2022 Claire McCardell tribute collection. McCardell was a trailblazing mid-century designer and arguably the inventor of American sportswear. Beyond their American roots, both designers share a drive to create clothing inspired by and relevant to their lives—McCardell’s as a woman in a rapidly changing and modernising world; Burch’s as a 21st-century working mother in New York City juggling multiple balls. By looking back at McCardell’s impact on fashion history, something clicked into place in the forward march of Tory Burch. The signature sportswear ease and uptown polish that have been Burch’s calling card since she launched her brand in
