Tory Burch
Born 1966 · Age 59
American fashion designer, businesswoman and philanthropist; founder, executive chairman and chief creative officer of Tory Burch LLC; founder of the Tory Burch Foundation.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania
Born Tory Robinson to Reva (née Schapira) and Ira Earl 'Bud' Robinson; raised with three brothers in a Georgian farmhouse near Valley Forge National Historical Park.
Raised in Main Line area home
Grew up in a 250‑year‑old Georgian farmhouse in the Main Line area; father inherited a stock exchange seat and a paper cup company.
Graduated Agnes Irwin School (approx.)
Attended Agnes Irwin School in Rosemont, PA; captain of the tennis team and high‑school friend of Kara Ross (exact graduation year inferred from college start).
First retail job at Benetton
Worked at a Benetton store in the King of Prussia mall — cited as her first job.
Graduated University of Pennsylvania (BA, Art History)
Graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, majored in art history; member of Kappa Alpha Theta.
Moved to New York and joined Zoran
Cold‑called designer Zoran and began working for him a week after graduation — her first full entry into the New York fashion world.
Worked as sittings assistant at Harper's Bazaar
Early publishing role that preceded PR/advertising positions; credited as part of her formative industry experience.
PR/advertising roles at Vera Wang, Polo Ralph Lauren and Loewe (period)
Moved into public relations and advertising, working at Vera Wang, Polo Ralph Lauren and at Loewe during Narciso Rodriguez’s tenure — formative commercial experience.
Married William Macklowe
Married William Macklowe (son of real‑estate tycoon Harry B. Macklowe); marriage lasted less than a year.
Divorced William Macklowe
Divorce from William Macklowe within a year of marriage (exact date not specified).
Married J. Christopher Burch
Married investor J. Christopher Burch (an investor in Internet Capital Group); the marriage produced three sons and later ended in divorce.
Founded TRB by Tory Burch / opened first boutique (Nolita)
Launched her eponymous label (initially 'TRB by Tory Burch') with a retail store at 257 Elizabeth Street in Manhattan’s Nolita district; the store nearly sold out on opening day.
Fashion Group International Rising Star Award
Won the 2005 Rising Star Award for Best New Retail Concept from Fashion Group International.
Oprah Winfrey endorsement boosts brand
Oprah named Tory Burch 'the next big thing' on The Oprah Winfrey Show; Burch's website received ~8 million hits the following day.
Accessories Council Launch Award
Won the Accessory Brand Launch of the Year at the Accessories Council Excellence Awards.
Chaired American Ballet Theatre spring gala
Served as chair of the 2007 spring gala for the American Ballet Theatre.
CFDA Accessories Designer of the Year
Received the Council of Fashion Designers of America Award for Accessories Designer of the Year.
Sold minority stake to Tresalia Capital
Mexican private equity firm Tresalia Capital bought a minority share in Tory Burch LLC.
Founded the Tory Burch Foundation
Launched the Tory Burch Foundation to support women entrepreneurs with loans, mentoring and education.
Debut runway show at New York Fashion Week
Presented her first runway fashion show in September 2011; continued to show each season at NYFW thereafter.
Added minority investors after legal settlement
Additional minority investors joined in December 2012 in conjunction with the settlement of a legal dispute with her ex‑husband.
Launched fragrance and beauty capsule with Estée Lauder
Introduced first fragrance and a beauty capsule collection in Fall 2013 in partnership with Estée Lauder.
Forbes estimated net worth at $1.0 billion
Forbes profiled Burch as a billionaire in 2013, citing her brand's success (often associated with the popular ballet flat).
Launched Elizabeth Street Capital / Capital Program with Bank of America
Began initiative with Bank of America (originally named Elizabeth Street Capital) to provide low‑cost loans and mentoring to women entrepreneurs; later named Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program.
Fashion wearable collaboration (Fitbit accessories)
Introduced an accessories line for the Fitbit Flex activity‑tracker (summer 2014), one of the brand’s early moves into wearables.
Named Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship
Appointed as an inaugural member of the White House Presidential Ambassadors for Global Entrepreneurship (April 2014).
Launched Tory Sport activewear
Introduced Tory Sport, a separate performance activewear line blending performance and style.
Engaged to Pierre‑Yves Roussel
Publicly announced engagement to Pierre‑Yves Roussel (former LVMH executive).
Launched Embrace Ambition campaign
Tory Burch Foundation launched 'Embrace Ambition' campaign to address the double standard around ambition; included PSA featuring celebrities.
Controversy over Resort 2018 coats
Facebook community La Blouse Roumaine pointed out similarities between an early‑20th‑century Romanian coat at the Met and a coat in Burch's Resort 2018 collection; Burch acknowledged missing a credit to Romanian inspiration.
Bank of America committed $50M to foundation program (cumulative)
By November 2017, Bank of America had committed a total of $50 million to the Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program.
Company bought back Tresalia Capital minority stake
Tory Burch LLC repurchased the minority stake previously held by Tresalia Capital (reported in 2018).
Married Pierre‑Yves Roussel
Married Pierre‑Yves Roussel in November 2018.
Additional $50M funding reported for Foundation program (March 2019)
Business of Fashion reported that in March 2019 her Foundation's programme received an additional $50 million in funding from Bank of America, effectively doubling the pledge from five years prior.
Pierre‑Yves Roussel named CEO; Burch becomes Executive Chairman & CCO
Pierre‑Yves Roussel became CEO of Tory Burch LLC in early 2019; Tory Burch took the titles Executive Chairman and Chief Creative Officer.
Forbes estimated net worth decline to ~$850M
Forbes reporting and public estimates placed her net worth at approximately $850 million in 2019.
Embrace Ambition city speaker tour
Hosted a five‑day Embrace Ambition speaker series in five US cities (Philadelphia, Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco, New York).
Company recognized for pandemic response
Newsweek named Tory Burch among '50 US Companies That Stood Out During the Pandemic' for providing $5 million of clothing and 3,000 yards of fabric for masks and hospital gowns to healthcare workers.
Featured in Forbes cover story on pandemic navigation
November 2020 Forbes ran a cover story on how Tory Burch LLC navigated the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Named one of Forbes' World's 100 Most Powerful Women (2020 #88)
Forbes listed Tory Burch as the 88th most powerful woman in the world in 2020.
Partnership with Parsons & endowed scholarship
Tory Burch LLC and Parsons School of Design announced a five‑year multidisciplinary partnership; Burch created an endowed scholarship fund with a gift to be matched to establish a $1,000,000 aid fund.
Controversy over 'Póvoa de Varzim'-inspired sweater
March 2021 criticism arose over a jumper resembling a traditional fishermen garment from Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal; Burch apologized, changed product description and later removed the item; out‑of‑court settlement reached November 2021.
Honored with Wharton Retail Excellence Award
The Wharton School's Jay H. Baker Retailing Center and Retail Leaders Circle honored Burch with its inaugural Retail Excellence Award (2022) for industry leadership and support of women entrepreneurs.
Received Parsons Table Award and CARE Impact Award
Parsons School of Design presented Burch the Parsons Table Award; CARE International presented the CARE Impact Award for Women's Inspirational Leadership (2022).
Tory Burch Foundation Sports Fellowship launched (with Billie Jean King & ITF)
The Foundation joined with Billie Jean King and the International Tennis Federation's Advantage All program to launch a Sports Fellowship providing grants, mentoring and networking for female entrepreneurs in sports.
Foundation disbursed $100M in affordable loans to women entrepreneurs
By the end of 2023, the Tory Burch Foundation Capital Program had disbursed $100 million in affordable loans to more than 5,500 women entrepreneurs.
CFDA nomination and Harper's Bazaar Designer of the Year
Nominated for the 2023 CFDA Fashion Awards Womenswear Designer of the Year and named Harper's Bazaar Designer of the Year (2023).
Company reaches >370 stores worldwide (Wikipedia stat)
As of 2023, Tory Burch LLC had grown to include more than 370 stores worldwide and was carried at over 3,000 department and specialty stores.
Named to Time 100 and company on Time 100 Most Influential Companies
In 2024 Tory Burch was named one of Time's 100 most influential people; her company was included on Time's 100 Most Influential Companies list.
WWD Women's Designer of the Year (2024)
Honored as WWD Women's Designer of the Year in 2024.
Net worth reported at $1.0 billion (Nov 2024)
Public reporting in November 2024 listed her net worth at approximately $1.0 billion again.
Received SCAD Étoile Award
Received the SCAD Étoile Award from the Savannah College of Art and Design (2025).
Businesswomen.net reports net worth $1.0B and $1.8B brand sales (2024)
Profiles in 2025 cite a Tory Burch net worth of ~$1.0B and reported company sales of $1.8B in 2024 (figures vary by source).
Spoke at BoF CROSSROADS 2025 & BoF podcast appearance
Participated at BoF CROSSROADS 2025 panels/podcast (April 2025) discussing global brand building and local relevance with Pierre‑Yves Roussel.
Key Achievement Ages
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